March Spotlight 

Did you know? About twenty-five years ago I read a book about a gentleman from Manitoba (Kevin Patterson, The Water In Between). He was fed up with his life and wanted a change. Sight unseen, he purchased a sailboat that was moored off the coast of British Columbia and without any formal sailing experience, decided he would travel to Tahiti. As you can well imagine, he endured a few hardships along the way. I tell this story because this is where I first learned of the doldrums. Patterson found himself stuck in the doldrums; metaphorically and literally. The “doldrums” are a place. They are near the equator in the Pacific Ocean where the trade winds from the North and South Hemisphere meet. With little surface wind, sailors avoid this area as they can literally be trapped for weeks.

You probably know this term for its other meaning. Sometimes we call it the blues. Sadness. In a rut. The doldrums can trap us in a stagnant place where we really don’t want to be but don’t know how to escape them. Flat. Unenthused or excited by what normally would bring us joy. The cold, dark months after the winter holidays have been known to amplify the feelings of depression. We find ourselves languishing instead of flourishing. While we often just hunker down in the stretch from January to March and ride out the darkness, there are tools that we can pull out of the toolbox to help counter the effects of winter.

1. Diet. While comfort food is a favourite go to during this stretch (they don’t call it comfort food for nothing) thick sauces, carbs and extra salt and sugar don’t do us any favours. Try to work in more green vegetables and fruit. There is nothing wrong with frozen options here as fresh produce is a little more scarce (and expensive) in the winter.
2. Movement. Motion is lotion. The tendency at this time is to hibernate. Don’t give up on your movement routines. The gym is still open or maybe it is just a walk outside. Bundle up and enjoy some fresh air. Or mall walk. Being active will also help with a better sleep at night.
3. Learn something new. Get those brain synapses synsapsing! Jigsaw or crossword puzzles. Pick up an instrument. Lots of time to try out a new hobby. Try Pickleball. Now you are learning something new, getting some exercise and maybe meeting new people.
4. Meet new people. We are social beings. Whether an introvert or extrovert, we all need meaningful relationships. Again, hibernating is not helpful. Get out there. Men in particular have been experiencing a friendship crisis. Fifteen percent of men identify as having no close friendships.
5. Listen to music. A proven mood booster. Sing along for added benefits.
6. Put down your phone. As great as technology is, spending countless hours doom scrolling through social media apps is not helpful. In fact, it is addictive. Read a book, go for a walk, see above…

Here is the good news. You don’t have to make sweeping, wholesale changes to improve your mood and your mental health. Baby steps. Incremental change. You can do it!