So, it’s been a bit since I’ve posted anything here. (And a lot of what was posted had been written and scheduled in late summer.) There are a couple of reasons for that, which I will get into, but it mainly traces back to one general theme: Winter Sucks.
My day job is linked to health insurance companies which means that after about Labor Day, I make evening and weekend plans at my own risk. For about the last four months of the year, I typically work fifty hours a week. This year, however, it was closer to 60. It was awful. And it left very little energy (mental or physical) to do anything. This is also why my house is a mess.
But the other thing is that I live in the upper Midwest. Which means that for a good portion of the October-March season is cold. Often very cold. Sometimes snowy. Now, being a fairly indoorsy person anyway, this doesn’t necessarily bother me too much. Except that I am also cheap. And as such, I keep my furnace low. Others have described my house as frigid, and that’s when I’ve turned up the heat for their visit. I have piles upon piles of blankets, comforters, throws, etc. I wear fuzzy socks and pile on the sweaters. But, more often than not, I just stay in bed where I have two massive comforters and a down mattress pad to keep me warm.
And that is where the main problem comes in. Between it being cold outside and inside, there’s also a malaise that comes over me during the cold months. I have never been diagnosed with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and I don’t think that’s what makes me unproductive during winter. I think I mentally give myself permission to be less productive in the winter. It’s dark a lot and too cold, so I’m just going to preserve my heat and my energy by not doing anything. I’ll watch Youtube for four hours instead of reading a book I can review. Or I’ll scroll through Facebook for ages instead of sleeping.
But today the sun is out. We’re expected to be in the fifties today and as high as sixty tomorrow! And I’m clearing out some of the mental cobwebs. I’m hoping to start putting out regular posts again. I’ve got several books ready to review. Spring is coming!
KT Byrde Writes 