Daylight savings time robs us of our peace. Once the sun starts to set earlier, we go into a panic, dreading the next few months of stillness. Humans need sunlight, so this response is typical. By this time of year, I personally begin feeling less motivated to do work.
However, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to fully give in to misery, even if we’re limited by the wintry environment. The best way to go about this is by being gentle with and forgiving ourselves as we endure stress, no matter how trivial it seems.
Young adults experience constant pressure to turn in schoolwork on time, aim for a career, persevere financially, and maintain a social presence. We are expected to prioritize a life that occurs externally, despite having a vibrant internal world that is constantly put aside by others and even ourselves.
Without the comfort of sunshine, these expectations can seem intimidating, and we may force ourselves to suppress our feelings, attaching ourselves to professional or academic responsibilities rather than self-care. However, the only way to avoid burnout in the external world is by taking care of the internal one.
Failing to do so is normally where the continuous seasonal depression cycle comes in.
Although mental health advocacy is becoming more common in media, it’s difficult to apply insight to everyday life when surrounded by institutions, such as academia, that encourage us to focus on the opposite of self-care.
In a school setting, it’s important to be lenient towards your emotions, even when they may interfere with your work ethic. Not wanting to do anything is perfectly okay. If you don’t take the time to accept that, you will experience unnecessary strain when going about your routine. There is no reason to punish yourself for living in a world with expectations that contradict your humanity.
Giving in to pressures is ultimately unrewarding because you will have to do it forever. Knowing that, why lose yourself?
To treat your listlessness during this dead season, do activities that lighten your mood. Only then will you be able to see the positivity and love that the season is capable of creating. Winter represents the “nothing” before something new. Live according to your own agenda that you know you enjoy. Nurture yourself before spring.
Do not feel guilty for having emotions.
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