Summertime Blues
If you live in New England, (or anywhere else with a seven month winter), you have a love-hate relationship with the place and the weather. Here on the coast of Maine and New Hampshire we adore the ocean, the nearby lakes and mountains, Boston and Portland just a stone’s throw away, and the intoxicating beauty of the place. (We are versions of the above picture). The downside is that right about now in the middle of the summer, people start getting nervous about the looming arctic freeze, all the fun experiences they need to pack in before the snow flies, and depressed about what they haven’t done yet during the teeny- weeny summer season. (I’ve labelled it “New England Seasonal Affective Disorder”). It’s more commonly referred to as the Summertime Blues.
What’s the “cure”? Try to live in the moment, savoring each and every experience. Be present! Do one thing at once, so you’re fully participating in the activity. Also, make a list of all the things you wanted to do and haven’t yet done. Come up with an action plan to bring those experiences to life, asking your “significant others” for help, so you don’t get overwhelmed with “plan overload”, leaving yourself open to those dreaded Summertime Blues. Also, recognize that it’s quality, not quantity that counts. If you do one meaningful, fun thing each weekend, and incorporate a few new playful activities into your work week, you’ll have more of a sense of living well. And just think, when the flowers and the greenery are all gone in a few months, winter will have its beauty as well, (other than shoveling, black ice, hailstorms, five layers of clothing, dry skin, and power outages.)
Happy rest of summer,
Susan Lager
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