Dealing with Winter Blues
Dealing with Winter Blues
Winter is time for quiet and reflection, but we are often bombarded by messaging to become our best selves in the wake of the new year. Our counsellor Jewel explains why this mentality can be dangerous especially during the winter months.
According to Wikipedia, the 3rd Monday in January, Blue Monday, is reportedly the most depressing day of the year due to long, dark days of winter, increased debt loads after Christmas, and our often already failing new year’s resolutions. If today, you are feeling blue, cold, and like a failure, then I want to stand with you in support.
Let’s unpack… According to Sarah Pruitt writing for the History Channel (2023), almost 50% of us create New Year’s resolutions every year but only 8% are successful in achieving those goals. Despite this unconvincing level of “success”, we continue trying to turn a new leaf on January 1st; we aim to get to the gym more often, spend less frivolously, lose weight, try the meditation app, or eat healthier. If you can relate, I encourage you to ask these questions; where is this pressure coming from, who is asking us to look different, to do more, to be healthier? Is the pressure coming from external sources? Are the narratives of society or social media dictating how we feel about ourselves?
If so, I think it is important to quiet the noise, become still, and sort out what our own values are before moving forward. It can be so easy to succumb to the bombardment of the tricky messages out there. For instance, even the idea of Blue Monday was originally coined for marketing purposes by a psychologist hired by a Travel Company to ultimately encourage vacationing to escape the winter blues. And so, I encourage you to reflect carefully. Do you, yourself, enjoy and value how your body feels after the gym or after a brisk walk in the winter sun? If so, walk with joy!
But I caution us to let go of trying simply to appease society’s demanding narratives about wellness and social media’s binary algorithms telling us how to think, who to cancel, and which resolutions to pursue. I am guessing that if instead, we collectively pursue joy instead of judgement, our world would become a better place. And that would be lovely not just for individuals, but for marginalized, oppressed communities everywhere.
Jewel Reimer is a Registered Social Worker and counsellor working out of our Corydon location. She knows that taking the first step to find a therapist takes courage. She is am happy to meet with individuals over the age of 14, as well as, with families and couples. She uses she/her pronouns and will strive to provide a place of safety for anyone struggling to live in a world that is often oppressive and unjust, particularly the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, those experiencing weight stigma, and those living with neurodiversity or disability. (@jewelreimer.counselling)