It’s often been speculated that February was the month when most suicides are committed. Now, that’s a cheerful thought – not! While it has been shown statistically that this isn’t true (with most suicides occurring in the spring), there does seem to be increased levels of depression, especially among senior citizens, during the winter months. I’m not a researcher in this subject, and perhaps I’m only using my own straw poll to make that assessment.
The holidays are over, no more abundant visits with friends coupled with excessive food and drink. It’s back to the grind at work, and exercise and veggies. No more almond roca until your teeth hurt or a glass of wine every night instead of once in awhile. It’s grey outside and the weather often keeps us cooped up for days on end. In fact, during this month we tend to eat and drink more than in previous months and sleep lots more, all of which can escalate depression.
All the trees are bare and our yards, be they tiny patios
like mine or expansive yards enjoyed by the myriad kids, grandkids and pets,
are bleak. I have a lovely gingko tree that I planted a few years back, and it
gives me great joy as I gaze upon it from my living room. However, practically
overnight, all its leaves are gone. The Japanese maples start thinning out and
by this time, they are looking pretty twiggy and lifeless. The chilling weather
and the lack of pleasing visual surroundings are pervasive on our psyche. I
believe the shorter grey days create a physiological response in our bodies
during this time of year. It can wear on the upbeat approach to life making
everything seem less exciting and less worth endeavoring. It’s hitting the
snooze button magnified 1,000 percent.
What to do? You can bet I’m going to say meditating should
be at the top of any list of possible remedies to the winter doldrums. Let’s face it, meditating is easy to
do, cheap and doesn’t take a lot of time. It’s the perfect panacea to much of
what ails us in life, be you a senior citizen or not.
There are lots of other things one can do to fight back the
lethargy and depression of dark winter months. Some of these items are costly
and time consuming and others, like meditation, are not.
