Love A Solution
I had ‘that face’ on this morning when I awoke to day number eight of grey skies and drizzle! Hey this is supposed to be summer! However, on the way to drop the car off for its service this morning, I was listening to the morning news when I heard what Northland and Coromandel were preparing for! One month’s rain in two days, likely flooding and evacuations! I repented of my attitude and thought “at least we are not having to deal with that.” My heart goes out to all my friends up north. My heart also goes out to the vineyards, the orchardists the market gardeners who all need sunshine to ripen their fruit and vegetables. It is also tough on the people who own camping grounds, whose summer months usually earn the majority of their annual income.
Okay so what is the positive side of the past eight days of not very summery weather? It was easy work in the garden as the weeds came up without effort, after the rain and it wasn’t too hot to garden. Only one day when I needed to water the veggie garden. That was a bonus. On the rainy days I could face some of those inside jobs that I don’t feel like doing when the sun is shining.
Lack of sun though, does bring real effects on us. Some of us suffer from SAD which stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is a condition where we can feel affected by less sunlight. It can disrupt the body clock or circadian rhythm, lower serotonin levels affecting our mood and affect melatonin production, impacting sleep and energy. We can feel low in mood or a bit sad, tired, low in energy and wanting to sleep more than usual. We can crave more carbs and have difficulty concentrating. According to a few sources, ways to remedy the symptoms are: Light therapy (light boxes), I remember Mum telling me about these; spending time outdoors in daylight, regular exercise, in some cases, medication.
I first discovered that I was affected by this condition in Vancouver, Canada, Christmas time about 18 years ago. Waking one morning when we were staying there visiting my in-laws, I was completely out of sorts! I felt moody, irrational and had no clue as to why. My poor husband must have thought I had been replaced in the night, as this woman didn’t resemble the one he married. To buy some time to sort myself out, I suggested he go ahead and visit his folks and I would have my prayer time and hopefully improve. As I sat in my quiet time, the thought came to me that I needed some Vitamin D. I could head to the mall nearby and visit a pharmacy and see if I could get something over the counter. I rugged up in my winter woollies and headed off with a determined air to get myself sorted! Standing, waiting for the traffic lights to change, I caught sight of a sunbed parlour. Sunbed! That is the solution, that will give me the Vitamin D I need.
In I went and asked the lovely young woman at the counter about availability, timing and if this would help with what I was experiencing. She assured me that 15 mins in the sun bed would give me enough Vitamin D to last a month. I was sold. She also added, to my delight, that a sunbed was available immediately. Yes! Having set me up with the safe length of time that would give me the Vitamin D without damaging the skin, she left me to enjoy my moment. I relaxed into the delicious warmth, imagining myself lying on a beach somewhere beautiful with the balminess of the sun on my bones and the ocean only a few foot falls away. In what seemed like no time at all, the buzzer pinged to draw me from my tropical oasis.
The transformation of my mental and physical wellbeing was exceptional. If I hadn’t experienced it, I would not have believed it! My skin was warm, I felt upbeat and positively energised. Dressed again and striding up the hill to my in-law’s apartment, a great big cheesy grin on my face, I went to join the family. My husband just couldn’t believe it. The woman he had left at the hotel and the one who had just entered the apartment were completely different! Isn’t it amazing though? The lack of sun left me feeling completely out of sorts and 15 mins in a sun bed and it was as though I had been away on a summer holiday, not a winter one.
That solution drop into my mind in that quiet time was the perfect fix to current problem. Awesome.
