Finding Relief from Winter Blues
“So if we all lived in California where it is warm all the time, February might not be so terrible?”
“I guess so. February is always so depressing here.”
My sister-in-law and I, both Midwestern girls looking ahead at a long, gray winter, have lived through enough Februaries to know they tend to come with gloom and depression. The thing is, lately I’ve been hearing from lots of people who have been in a funk. And it’s only January 15.
Why all the sad faces this time of year? We are all asking ourselves exactly that. Christmas was good, we made it through. The year is fresh and clean waiting to be filled up with all the fabulous things we are going to do.
Could it be because your family has been sick for the last 3 months? Yeah, that’s not helpful.
Is there a sad anniversary this month that has you missing someone amazing and wondering why she was taken so soon? Yep, that could be part of it.
Maybe you are wondering where the money is going to come from this winter, or your kids are struggling at school, or your body isn’t cooperating, or adulting has just been really hard.
Or maybe things really are ok in your world, but still the funk permeates your days.
For some reason it’s been pervasive lately. Mornings are hard. Days are long. You might find yourself staring out the window, or into space, feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. Too many questions and not enough answers. And your coping strategies might be lacking.
Or is that just me?
The last few months I’ve had my share of funk-filled days. This has led me to seek out some solutions. Aside from being sure to take my anxiety meds and knowing I should be eating better, I’ve been looking for how I can lean on prayers and Scripture more to get some relief.
In the course of this process I’ve found myself thinking about how I start my days. I know I should be in the Word daily. I know I should start my day with prayer. But on gray winter days when I don’t want to get out of bed, it’s hard to get focused on what a healthy prayer should look like. It’s hard to get motivated to open the devotional book, and it’s easy to feel defeated more than anything else.
One day this fall at church the liturgy included Psalm 51:1-12. Some highlights include…
I decided verses 1-12 would be a great way to start my day. My sin and the weight of my weaknesses seem to sit heavy on my shoulders. Plus I know that we are instructed to confess our sins daily and ask for the mercy and forgiveness of our Savior. This verse helps me bring to mind the sin that is woven into my daily life. It humbles me before my Lord and judge and asks for a renewed spirit. It’s a great combination especially these days where my brain doesn’t seem to be working on all cylinders. When I can’t seem to come up with the words on my own, leaning on Scripture makes sense.
“I guess so. February is always so depressing here.”
My sister-in-law and I, both Midwestern girls looking ahead at a long, gray winter, have lived through enough Februaries to know they tend to come with gloom and depression. The thing is, lately I’ve been hearing from lots of people who have been in a funk. And it’s only January 15.
Why all the sad faces this time of year? We are all asking ourselves exactly that. Christmas was good, we made it through. The year is fresh and clean waiting to be filled up with all the fabulous things we are going to do.
Could it be because your family has been sick for the last 3 months? Yeah, that’s not helpful.
Is there a sad anniversary this month that has you missing someone amazing and wondering why she was taken so soon? Yep, that could be part of it.
Maybe you are wondering where the money is going to come from this winter, or your kids are struggling at school, or your body isn’t cooperating, or adulting has just been really hard.
Or maybe things really are ok in your world, but still the funk permeates your days.
It hangs in the air sometimes.
For some reason it’s been pervasive lately. Mornings are hard. Days are long. You might find yourself staring out the window, or into space, feeling overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. Too many questions and not enough answers. And your coping strategies might be lacking.
Or is that just me?
The last few months I’ve had my share of funk-filled days. This has led me to seek out some solutions. Aside from being sure to take my anxiety meds and knowing I should be eating better, I’ve been looking for how I can lean on prayers and Scripture more to get some relief.
In the course of this process I’ve found myself thinking about how I start my days. I know I should be in the Word daily. I know I should start my day with prayer. But on gray winter days when I don’t want to get out of bed, it’s hard to get focused on what a healthy prayer should look like. It’s hard to get motivated to open the devotional book, and it’s easy to feel defeated more than anything else.
One day this fall at church the liturgy included Psalm 51:1-12. Some highlights include…
Have mercy on me O God, according to your unfailing love…
cleanse me from my sin…
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
I decided verses 1-12 would be a great way to start my day. My sin and the weight of my weaknesses seem to sit heavy on my shoulders. Plus I know that we are instructed to confess our sins daily and ask for the mercy and forgiveness of our Savior. This verse helps me bring to mind the sin that is woven into my daily life. It humbles me before my Lord and judge and asks for a renewed spirit. It’s a great combination especially these days where my brain doesn’t seem to be working on all cylinders. When I can’t seem to come up with the words on my own, leaning on Scripture makes sense.
I analyzed a little more. Stuck in a funk means low self-esteem and insecurities. What could I feel 100% secure in? It certainly isn’t my feelings about my Savior or my impressively insightful prayers. One thing I can put my faith in is my baptism. I’m a child of God, baptized by the water and the Word and the Holy Spirit. That fact isn’t going anywhere and I can know for sure that my Savior has renewed my spirit and does not give up on me. No matter how meh I feel today.
I started reminding myself of my baptism by making the sign of the cross. Physically for real crossing myself - in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The real action of doing that reminds me of the real action of my baptism and the power of the God who claims me as His own.
It’s a comfort to be sure.
A little awkward at first, but definitely a comfort.
I’ve started making these things and some other prayers a part of my morning, and it’s given me a boost. My mornings haven’t been magically transformed into bright, beautiful rainbows of inspiration. But when I do get moving and find myself wallowing in the pathetic funk that permeates my winter, now I reach for the prayers and Scripture I’ve jotted down in a small journal. I make the sign of the cross and remind myself that I have been claimed as God’s child. I pray a prayer of thanksgiving and I get dressed. (Well, most of the time.)
Unfortunately the funk is real. For some it’s legit Seasonal Affective Disorder. For others it might be daily anxiety. For you it might be a phase of being overwhelmed and feeling out of control. Regardless of what our bodies need, adding Scripture and prayer to our daily treatment can be a welcome coping strategy.
Go ahead and give it a try.
I promise I won’t tell anyone you’re secretly blessing yourself with the sign of the cross in front of the bathroom mirror at work.
I started reminding myself of my baptism by making the sign of the cross. Physically for real crossing myself - in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The real action of doing that reminds me of the real action of my baptism and the power of the God who claims me as His own.
It’s a comfort to be sure.
A little awkward at first, but definitely a comfort.
I’ve started making these things and some other prayers a part of my morning, and it’s given me a boost. My mornings haven’t been magically transformed into bright, beautiful rainbows of inspiration. But when I do get moving and find myself wallowing in the pathetic funk that permeates my winter, now I reach for the prayers and Scripture I’ve jotted down in a small journal. I make the sign of the cross and remind myself that I have been claimed as God’s child. I pray a prayer of thanksgiving and I get dressed. (Well, most of the time.)
Unfortunately the funk is real. For some it’s legit Seasonal Affective Disorder. For others it might be daily anxiety. For you it might be a phase of being overwhelmed and feeling out of control. Regardless of what our bodies need, adding Scripture and prayer to our daily treatment can be a welcome coping strategy.
Go ahead and give it a try.
I promise I won’t tell anyone you’re secretly blessing yourself with the sign of the cross in front of the bathroom mirror at work.
What do you do to escape the winter blues?
