It was early February when I noticed the symptoms…
fatigue
lack of motivation
low mood
anxiety
getting pudgy
Something felt familiar…my annual nemesis Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD was back, catching me off guard once again. My pet name for this is Seasonal Defective Disorder. I first came face to face with SAD during my first year of teaching- along with my first migraine headache (not a good omen). My classroom was in the basement of the school with only a small rectangular grated window up on ground level. I had virtually no natural light all-day.
I discovered that even on anti-depressants one can fall victim to this syndrome. It’s thought to come about by biochemical changes in the brain brought on by lack of sunlight. For those of us in northern climates with dark winters and inclement weather SAD can be quite common. It can also happen any season if you are constantly indoors and deprived of natural light. In this conditions it’s hard to spark joy or feel creative. The good news is there are easy and affordable ways to deal with SAD. Here are my four go-tos to get back on track within a week or so.
Sit in front of a SAD light every morning for about 15-20 minutes daily. These lights emit full spectrum light like sunlight. Years ago these were big cumbersome boxes that cost several hundred dollars. Now you can get a little portable unit you can place on a desk at your workplace for about $25. Here is a link to the one I purchased on Amazon which I like a lot (I get no kickbacks for this recommendation).
Take a lot of vitamin D3. I recently upped my dose to 15,000 units to get through the rest of the winter.
I take several dandelion capsules a day. These supply an amazing amount of micronutrients and antioxidants. Of course, you may eat fresh young dandelion leaves usually in abundant supply in your lawn- at least in mine.
Get outside as much as possible. There is nothing like fresh air and natural sunlight. I say that as the rain continues to fall here in Oregon.
If you have found yourself down in the dumps lately for no tangible reason, consider the possibility you might have SAD. You can try my recipe which is quite noninvasive or see a medical professional. Whatever path you choose- remember that life is too short to be depressed! Get the help you need.
PS- My muse has returned. YES!
Sketches by the author
Checkout my other blog about sustainable living at onesweetearth.blog
“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”
addition to my 12-minute daily meditation ) of focused breathing. Three times a day I sit or lie down, close my eyes and take twelve DEEP breaths. Inevitably my shoulders relax and I get back in a centered space. I set a reminder on my phone. Try it. Even one time a day can make a difference. Air (for now) is free and no mantra is required.
I hardly recognize the world we live in. Even though I attempt to shield myself from too much news, I can’t avoid the tragedies of political chaos, mass shootings, human suffering, cataclysmic storms and forest fires from reaching my ears. Then there’s climate change. It can cause one to live with low-level anxiety.
skewed forms. I gave up working on the wheel in ceramics shunning symmetry for wonky, sometimes smooshed, handbuilt pieces. The female figure became a lovely opportunity to distort and exaggerate. There are often holes where breasts 
should be, with huge hips & thighs going counter to what our culture celebrates.
When I began teaching (I started late), I changed the Ms. in my name to Mz. Pass. When students questioned that choice I responded that I really liked the letter Z. It was a horribly underused letter of the alphabet and I thought it worked better in this application. That explanation seemed to satisfy their 6th-grade minds.
The opposite of courage
shoulder, whispering in your ear that your work is not good enough. You need to try harder. You need to do more for it to pass muster. But you’re never quite satisfied and you’re filled with lingering doubt about the value of your work, and worse, yourself. It is the enemy of creativity. When I speak of perfectionism, I am not equating it with the precision required of a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist. This kind of perfectionism does not lead to positive outcomes. It often goes hand in hand with unhappiness & anxiety.
Looking at my work now, one would never know that I am a recovering perfectionist. My artwork is often playful, spontaneous, & made of torn paper or clay forms that have intentionally been altered or misshapen in some way. I gravitate towards the asymmetrical & wonky shapes that you might find in a Dr. Suess book. It’s my private rebellion against perfection. In a roundabout way, I’m rejecting the notion that our bodies must conform to a perfect ideal as celebrated by our culture.
the piece and not a machine.
By Alanna Pass 