Winter Blues

May has disappeared ages ago and now it is June. With June, comes winter and that means we get a lot of frost, ice and cold air - the perfect ingredients that make up winter blues. Although it is only the second week of June, vast changes can already be seen in the weather. I've noticed that it's pitch black by 5.30, an indication that the days are getting shorter, the gray skies are more often cloudy than sunny and on certain days, it can  even rain or hail for half an hour. All this contributes to the subdued and unfriendly atmosphere  you feel in the air and this leads to those winter woes; cold, flu and SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter.

Symptoms of SAD may consist of: 

• difficulty waking up in the morning - Check. Sometimes I don't wake up even when the alarm is constantly buzzing.

• tendency to oversleep as well as to overeat - Check. Dieting is so much harder now.

• a lack of energy - Check. I've been rather sloppy in the house-cleaning department lately.

• difficulty concentrating on completing tasks - Check. I can't get my article done.

• withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities - Check. This explains my absence in the blogsphere.

All of this leads to the depression, pessimism, and lack of pleasure which characterize a person suffering from this disorder.

Source: Wikipedia

So you see, it's not me but the winter that's responsible for my lack of enthusiasm in everything. Having said that, I must admit there are a few plus points in winter.

• You get to enjoy really nice scenery.

Picture taken in July 2009 - courtesy of Lois Wong

At Mt. Cook

• You get a touch of frost. Well, this is nothing special but I'm just plain sakai :)

Freezing cold!

• The kids at pre-school don't get to play outside so that means they'll be warm indoors. That also means Alden has a lower chance of catching a cold.

Alden at Pre-School

I guess that one wraps up all the plus points. The negatives? Plenty. Having dry and flaky skin,  driving in fogged up windows, wearing bulky clothes 24/7, drying clothes in front of the heaters and of course paying higher electricity bills.

Yes. Winter is cold and miserable. But that's okay cos we're going home mid winter and we get to escape the cruel NZ weather. And that's what keeps me going - the thought of me in hot and humid KK, having fun with family and friends. Can't wait! :)