Since my college days, yea these many years ago, I’ve noticed that I’m never in the flush of health for that month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year again I’m feeling kind of crummy. Oh, not seriously enough for me to go to the doctor, but just out of sorts. And if I ever do get a bona fide illness, this seems to be the time of the year for it. SAD, maybe? Holiday stress? I really don’t think so. But I’m curious if other people have noticed this phenomenon in themselves.
(And by the way, is the term “low ebb” hopelessly redundant?)
I am prone to depression over the Christmas/New Year period. Part of it is grief as to how my life has panned out and watching the happiness of those around me. Part of it is disruption to routines and a reduction in human contact. Into the mix you could also add lack of money. It does not help that this year I am on lots of new medications and am still not very stable. The ebb is decidedly low here
For the past several years, I’ve been sick through the Christmas time without fail. Flus one after the other. Before having kids, I was literally never sick, but nowadays the Decembers and Januarys are not all that much fun.
I decided in September that I was tired of being a giant fat-ass. So starting October first I stopped using my exercise bike as a linen closet and started walking my dog and grand-dog three days a week. Watching my calorie intake really closely. Worked my way up to forty minutes on the bike at 13-14 MPH every day. Started dropping weight and feeling pretty strong.
The last week or so since we’ve gotten cold weather, though… So hard to get on the bike. Can’t walk puppies in the rain & cold. Hungry ALL the time. Blech. Feel myself sliding back.
Winter always seems to make me less active. It’s like my body wants me to hibernate or something. Thank og it goes away. I’d be as big as a house otherwise.
Yeah, I’ve definitely been in a funk lately. I know part of my cause this year:
Work stress. It has really been affecting me physically. Know that no matter how hard or well I plan, I’ll never get my team to make sales goals because I just don’t have the support I need makes me tired and depressed.
I’ve been treating my body like a garbage disposal lately. Luckily for me, I seem to have best luck losing weight over the holiday season, I think because I plan better. I’ve been watching my food intake and exercising more for just a week and I’ve already dropped 5 pounds (mostly water, I’m sure, but it’s certainly encouraging). At least this is something I have control over.
Lack of sleep. Ever since I started a busy season of work travel, my daughter has woken at least 2-3 times a night now. I haven’t had a full night’s uninterrupted sleep since late September and it’s really starting to take a toll.
Usually I have a cold around now, but that hasn’t happened. Yet. My daughter has been coughing and snotty lately, so I’m sure that it’s just a matter of time.