The Season of Sadness Approaches!

I’m not taking any chances this year! Despite the suns efforts to keep me smiling like the joker all the way through Autumn, I know myself too well these days.

It just won’t last …

I can now predict with an accuracy of almost 100%, the exact date that I will morph from being Mr Happy Pants, to Mr Blubbing through pouring eyes like SpongeBob SquarePants, if he in fact lost his famous brown pants (I know you watch it!)

So the precise date of my doom and gloom this year, will be Monday 22nd September!

Now, while this is rather ironic due to it being my sisters almost 60th birthday (she makes me feel younger every year😁), the forth week in September for me is the beginning of a five month challenge to maintain a smile that doesn’t resemble a cannibal about to eat a vegan sandwich. Human brain is much nicer than tofu apparently (yum!)

The fact is, I have a condition commonally known as seasonal affected disorder, or SAD 😰 and as much as I’m trying to make light of it now, anyone that suffers with it annually will know that it is no laughing matter.

I first noticed it when I was working shifts as an emergency ambulance controller during the Autumn. I would be going to work in the dark mornings, then coming home again in the dark evenings and vice versa. Also, due to security our office the windows were always blacked out, so I was only ever getting a few hours of natural sunlight a week. Less than Dracula!

My colleagues starting noticing that my mood was changing and I was becoming a misery to work with (even more than usual they said!) Then when I was at home at the weekend, I would suddenly get huge waves of sadness washing over me me for no particular reason and often just burst into tears 😭😭😭

My wife got really worried about me (nice that she cares) and started doing some research to try and help my obvious despair. She said I might have seasonal affected disorder, and that I should try using a lightbox specially designed to mimic real sunlight.

“You shine it on your face to help cheer you the f.ck up!” She said (See, I told you how much she cares 💘)

So I did exactly that! I bought myself a lightbox (there’s loads of them on Amazon if you need one) and within just a couple of weeks my seasonal blues began to fade away and I began to smile again. Now, I’m certainly not saying that it’s a cure for depression, because depression can cut much deeper than sunlight. But for someone like me that suffers from SAD, having a lightbox nearby can really make a difference.

You do need to be careful with your lightbox if you decide to get one however. They emit an extremely bright light and you should never look directly at them for the same reasons that you shouldn't look directly at the sun (which I tried as a kid and nearly went blind!). You are also only supposed to have them on for a certain time period also, so always read the instructions that come with the box (I think this is what is called my disclaimer! I wouldn't like to get sued, especially when I’m so sad!)

I did explore another option for my winter sadness which was emigrating my entire family to Australia. But apparently I’m just too old to be allowed in. Now, where’s that damn lightbox! 😪

Thanks for reading