Winter doldrums

“O, Wind. If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” – Percy Bysshe Shelley

In the grey and drizzly winter, there comes an Intruder perching on our beds often. We all know him and his name is anxiety. Even the least depressive like me, face this faceless Intruder in the small hours. Something we ought to have done or shouldn’t have done, someone was unjustifiably rude to us or someone to whom we were unwittingly rude, someone we want to talk to but can’t, an imprudent decision are some of the unconnected things that keep us wakeful and we fret over and over. At some point it all gets on top of us. We sigh when the alarm goes off in a dark bedroom and in a trice the Intruder departs. Then we become level-headed and realize that most of our thoughts are minor and soluble.

I naturally have quite a melancholic disposition to my writing and feel no need to dispel melancholy instantly because the sun cannot shine non-stop in our lives especially in mid-winter. At the same time, one cannot indulge in too much melancholy because it could incapacitate you.

So thinking of this element, I drafted some ideas that could help. First instead of denying the existence of our troubles, it is better to acknowledge them without getting lost in it. Accept that every situation means something. That’s okay and it’s a natural part of life. Then make a list of the issues, take each one separately and tick them off, one by one. In other words “Line them up and knock them down”. So as we’re in the small hours of 2021 draw on hope and guard against the Intruder’s visit.

Have a beautiful New Year!