Spring Slumber
Welcome!
Unsure where to channel your creativity?
Believe a myth that you have no creativity?
Want to add more spark to your life?
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Spring Slumber
What is Reverse SAD?
When the rest of the world seems to seek sunshine and breath smells from melted snow, some folks hide. I’m one of them.
Earlier this week, I wasn’t sleeping, which isn’t anything new, but I was also irritable, distracted, and doggone tired. And then it hit me; it’s the final week of February.
I’ve always been one to prepare and anticipate seasonal events. I love the days leading up to Christmas almost as much as Christmas itself. I place pumpkins on my doorstep at the end of September rather than October. And I still buy new pens and pencils at the end of August in anticipation of a new school year.
It doesn’t come as a shock that my body anticipates spring, but unlike most people, I’m filled with dread. The condition is called Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder or Summer SAD. I’m not big on labels, but when I first learned about Reverse SAD, it felt like I’d been hit over the head with a gavel. It put a name to what I was feeling, and I wasn’t the only person who hated spring.
Just when the world brightens, and everyone seems to be skipping through the streets and pointing out daffodils, my body wants to curl up under the covers. I cannot go outside. I pull the shades. Last year, I closed myself in the darkest room in the house and worked until twilight for two weeks straight.
For those of you who don’t know, Reverse SAD feels like an upside-down depression. People don’t understand. They assume everyone enjoys longer days filled with sunshine. I live in ski country where, next to a powder day, spring skiing is hailed as the bomb. Not for me. I always quit skiing on the first of March.
This time of year, there’s a push and pressure to bloom, be productive, to refresh oneself in the light. For someone with Reverse SAD, this creates guilt, anxiety, and deep annoyance. The brightness is not comforting. It’s too much.
A person with Reversed SAD often feels out of sync with the world and with nature, which is doubly frustrating. We often feel lonely. My emotional tone this time of year is agitation. The light feels glaring, overexposed. Like clockwork, it hits me hard the last few days of February and will last well into April. However, I’ve learned some tricks and techniques to help me through.
As always, I use creativity as my guide and lean in. Here are a few suggestions.
Create your own in-between season, allowing for grace and low-energy activities
Play ambient music
Make mini projects that are easy to complete
Create simple lists
Wake early when the light is still soft
Close the shades during the brightness of the day
Wear muted colors
Find shadows and beauty in transitional spaces
Take walks at twilight
Organize a dark closet
Read books and light candles, stretching the feeling of a cozy winter
Talk to others who feel the same way
Keep your room cool
Train your eye to see the in-between spaces
Reverse SAD isn’t a failure. It’s having a nervous system that reacts to brightness, speed, and light differently. And that’s okay.
Quotes for the Soul!
“Trying to avoid sadness is trying to avoid life.”
“Sometimes when things are falling apart they may actually be falling into place.”
Offerings
PRIVATE CLASSES
Contact me if you’re interested in a private or small group creativity class.
WRITING:
creative writing
journaling
personal memoir
essays
parent-child inspo
where to begin?
ART:
art journaling
collage making
(cards, candles, art)
inspiration decks
gelli printing
alcohol inks
Who?
folks looking for creativity
folks wanting direction
family fun
book clubs
friend gatherings
YOU!
Thanks for reading. Creativity is not a command performance, but I hope you’ll stay and become inspired. If you know someone interested in creative endeavors, please forward this on!