The transition from the holiday season back to the normal drudgery is so depressing. Is there any way to make Jan / Feb less depressing?
like, it’s still dark at 5pm, there are barely any sports on, still bitterly cold and austere and it hurts to go outside, but you’re not even looking forward to christmas or the new year. the new year is here, and it’s largely the same as last year. except you’re getting older.
Maybe see if there are some esports you like if more traditional ones are unavailable at this time. There are also things like chess tournaments if you aren’t really into video games.
Besides everything else, Martin Luther King gave us a sorely-needed January holiday. If you want to do it right, make plans to do something selfless that day. It might even lead to you continuing to do that thing or work with that group, and exercise those human kindness muscles, developing the content of your character. Or it might just be the once, and that’s okay. Or maybe the best you can muster is to raise a glass and thank Martin for the 3-day weekend. It’s still something to get your head past this slump. By Groundhog Day you’ll be seeing that little bit more daylight that brings hope.
If you live somewhere with a good variety of different cultures, most of them probably have an association of some kind, which often host events that let them share their holidays and traditions with the larger population. Try to track down their local event calendars and show up whenever you can. I live in a medium sized city with decent sized Hispanic, Indian, Vietnamese, and Native American populations, and between the lot of them there’s ALWAYS something going on - and for me personally, 99% of it is stuff I’ve never even heard of, so it’s a completely new experience every time (vs trying to drag out the more familiar holiday feels by leaving the xmas lights up until March lol).
Going on a trip in February/March somewhere warm and sunny helps a fuck ton. It’s honestly worth the few grand to go to an all inclusive resort and have nothing to think about and have all your needs met while you take a dip in the sea.
That or cannabis. I’ve started taking CBD+THC oils before bed and it helps mellow me out and stabilize me.
I stayed at an all inclusive in Varadero, Cuba and I really liked it. The beaches are absolutely gorgeous there. The resorts are pretty nice with lots of activities. You can also do some sightseeing around Cuba with organized tours. There’s lots of good rum and great cigars. However, you don’t eat well in Cuba. They don’t have a lot of food and whatever good food they have, they serve at the resorts which says a lot about what they have. The people are poor and if you have any degree of sympathy, you’ll feel bad for them the whole time you’re there. And they remind you how poor they are all the time.
In Cancun, Mexico you have to pick the right place or you’ll get a beach full of rocks. I stayed in the hotel zone at Sandos and the beach was gorgeous. The food was great! Lots of activities and animation and shows. There’s less sightseeing though. And the food on site is pretty American in flavor. If you’re a bit more adventurous, you can take the public bus for super cheap to go into Cancun city in the evening and they have a park, the Parque de las palapas, where they have tons of street food. You’ll eat amazing Mexican Street food for amazingly cheap. Even if they charge you the gringo price. There’s also a shopping mall in the hotel zone which is huge if you want to do any shopping. Honestly this was my best experience in an all inclusive resort.
Martinique is a French territory. If you don’t speak French, you’ll have a difficult time there. Otherwise, Martinique is a god damn jewel. I’ve never seen beaches as gorgeous as what’s there. It’s a real life paradise. I spent time there doing a bit of a road trip across the island. We visited multiple beaches and stayed in hotels and Airbnbs with hosts. They have the best rum I’ve ever tasted and there are plenty of distilleries you can visit. There are a lot of boats you can take with a group to more remote locations to do some snorkeling, but many of the beaches in general are already great. The food there is fucking fantastic! The French being big on cuisine really had a big influence there. The Creole food and seafood is out of this world. Accompanied with great wine and rum to boot. This was one of my best trips honestly.
This year we’ll be going to Panama. I haven’t found a good resort yet that has a good beach. And they’re all far from any airport or city so not very accessible. I don’t really know what to expect there. I’m going with an open mind and we’ll see what happens.
I don’t know where you’re at, but I take a weekly trip to a greenhouse. I’m not a plant person unless they’re plastic, but it really does give a nice vitamin D boost and the smells are usually amazing. Take a stroll, many of them have benches where you can sit and contemplate. Mine even does a Sunday yoga class that you can watch or join. It gets me through the doldrums.
Trips to greenhouses and conservatories are a great idea for a good number of reasons. However, don’t read the rest of this if you don’t want any spoilers.
spoilerGreenhouses, in general, may not be a very reliable way to get a nice vitamin D boost. I’ll spare you the details, but most of the covering materials specifically developed for greenhouse use will significantly reduce or outright block UV light. You may still get some limited UV exposure, but you wouldn’t want to go into that situation with the expectation of getting a nice boost in vitamin D from it.
I moved to Edmonton, AB from the US South and holy crap, the darkness is unreal. Even the locals struggle with this pitch-black 4pm nonsense.
That said, the city has a lot of focus on indoor spaces that really saves it. I used to go to West Ed mall just to walk around somewhere without a coat for free, you know?
The real gem of the city is the Muttart Conservatory though - and a year-long pass is like $30?? For an indoor rainforest??
Happiness, excitement and anticipation are cycles. In order to experience them again to their full, you must allow them to fade for awhile. Trying to hold onto them for too long is causing you more grief than the actual lack of them in the moment.
Take a moment to breathe, and appreciate where you are, what you have, and who you’ve shared it with, before you rush onward.
I leave our lights up through Mardi Gras. We live in Seattle so darkness is our friend until March. Leaving them up through the long dark makes a 5a start seem less irritating and I feel like it brightens up the neighborhood a bit. We have also put up some year round, inoffensive, hipster lights that are either party/relax, depending on your mood.
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