FEEL GOOD RVA

I am an empath. I am an introvert. And what is standing out to me now more than ever before while attempting to write this post is that I also struggle with Imposter Syndrome. This alone made it incredibly difficult to know how to approach this article, and for that reason I took a step back while re-reading a few of Great Britt’s entries where I learned from her recent September 2020 post that she started this blog as a means to be an open honest type of journaling experience into her deeper thoughts.

I channeled this as inspiration to let go of my inhibitions and write this article the same way I feel she initially intended and envisioned FEEL GOOD RVA. 

For the past several weeks since initially tweeting about wanting to share a list of pleasure events for those in need and Great Britt contacting me to share my outlook on Season Affective Disorder (SAD)

I was thinking just about everyday “who are you to speak about SAD?! You are not a licensed clinician and you are by no means qualified to do this”.  It was each one of these self-ridiculing anxious thoughts that has kept me from sharing sooner. As I now allow the words to flow freely, I am finally coming around to realize and understand that I am a person who has lived this experience.

While underqualified on paper, it still makes me a person who understands, a person who can relate, and a person who deeply empathizes with those who share in this shift with me.

Year over year I’ve dealt with SAD and watched countless friends, acquaintances, and strangers across various social media platforms attempt to live with the struggles of “winter blues”. So, again, for anyone wondering (namely myself) here are my current qualifications to dive into this post on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):

LIFE.

To be super technical for a moment, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), now refers to SAD as Major Depressive Disorder with a Seasonal Pattern. Although not everyone experiences all the following symptoms, the classic characteristics of Major Depressive Disorder with a Seasonal Pattern include:

• Hypersomnia (or oversleeping)
• Daytime fatigue
• Overeating
• Weight gain
• Craving carbohydrates

Many people may experience other symptoms as well, including:

• Decreased sexual interest
• Lethargy
• Hopelessness
• Suicidal thoughts
• Lack of interest in usual activities and decreased socialization

Typically beginning around October/November and subsiding around March/April at the peak of Spring equinox.

This time of year, for me, is ordinarily filled with sleeping way too much, lack of interest in any outdoor adventures, and an all over “blah” feeling when it comes to leaving my safe space, home. That “blah” feeling would also manifest in other areas of my life and in activities that I typically found enjoyable. As a result, I’d end up being hypercritical of myself and only worsening my overall mood. Until this year, this year I was very optimistic about what I’d do differently to combat that yearly feeling that always seemed to worsen as the holidays approach, as I have been working tirelessly at implementing healthy coping skills. Then terror struck in 2020, and I’ve spent more time than ever thinking about how I’ll manage these next few months given COVID-19.

Over the last several months, I’ve found peace in soaking up the sun and going on long walks to keep me sane. In the past, when I felt withdrawn or distant from friends because it simply felt too cold to even think about leaving the comfort of my own home. I always knew that the option was still there. Now, I’m looking for other ways to spark joy while still maintaining a safe environment for myself and those I may come into contact with. I choose to embrace earlier sunsets and colder evenings, but also know I’ll need to come up with a plan of how to prevent falling into a slump or at the very least what I’ll do to pull myself out of a low should I happen to slip. 

That’s where the Pleasant Events List comes in. I am a huge advocate for mental health awareness, and I am 100% the friend who will tell you to consider seeing a therapist if you find yourself struggling to maintain peace of mind. With that being said, I actually got this list from my own therapist and wanted to share it because I have reaped the benefits of referencing it on many occasions. In the above tweet I say “simple” because you may view some of these activities and think “well I already do this daily”, but the key is to do each event mindfully, with intention, and at times when you least feel like it. That will make all the difference in the world!

1.     Soaking in the bathtub	89.    Working
2.     Planning my career	90.    Discussing books
3.     Getting out of (paying on) debt	91.    Sightseeing
4.     Collecting things (coins, shells, etc.)	92.    Gardening
5.     Going on vacation	93.    Going to the beauty parlor
6.     Thinking how it will be when I finish school	94.    Early morning coffee and newspaper
7.     Recycling old items	95.    Playing tennis
8.     Going on a date	96.    Kissing
9.     Relaxing	97.    Watching my children (play)
10.    Going to a movie in the middle of the week	98.    Thinking I have a lot more going for me than most people
11.    Jogging, walking	99.    Going to plays and concerts
12.    Thinking I have done a full day’s work	100.   Daydreaming
13.    Listening to music	101.   Planning to go to school
14.    Recalling past parties	102.   Thinking about sex
15.    Buying household gadgets	103.   Going for a drive
16.    Lying in the sun	104.   Listening to a stereo
17.    Planning a career change	105.   Refinishing furniture
18.    Laughing	106.   Watching TV
19.    Thinking about my past trips	107.   Making lists of tasks
20.    Listening to others	108.   Going bike riding
21.    Reading magazines or newspapers	109.   Walks in the woods (or at the waterfront)
22.    Hobbies (stamp collecting, model building, etc.)	110.   Buying gifts
23.    Spending an evening with good friends	111.   Traveling to national parks
24.    Planning a day’s activities	112.   Completing a task
25.    Meeting new people	113.   Collecting shells
26.    Remembering beautiful scenery	114.   Going to a spectator sport (auto racing, horse racing)
27.    Saving money	115.   Eating gooey, fattening foods
28.    Gambling	116.   Teaching
29.    Going home from work	117.   Photography
30.    Eating	118.   Going fishing
31.    Practicing karate, judo, yoga	119.   Learn to say 30 words in another language
32.    Thinking about retirement	120.   Staying on a diet
33.    Repairing things around the house	121.   Playing with animals
34.    Working on my car (bicycle)	122.   Flying a plane
35.    Remembering the words and deeds of loving people	123.   Reading fiction
36.    Wearing sexy clothes	124.   Acting
37.    Having quiet evenings	125.   Being alone
38.    Taking care of my plants	126.   Writing diary entries or letters
39.    Buying, selling stock	127.   Cleaning
40.    Going swimming	128.   Reading nonfiction
41.    Doodling	129.   Taking children places
42.    Exercising	130.   Dancing
43.    Collecting old things	131.   Going on a picnic
44.    Going to a party	132.   Thinking “I did that pretty well” after doing something
45.    Thinking about buying things	133.   Meditating
46.    Playing golf	134.   Playing volleyball
47.    Playing soccer	135.   Having lunch with a friend
48.    Flying kites	136.   Going to the mountains
49.    Having discussions with friends	137.   Thinking about having a family
50.    Having family get-togethers	138.   Thoughts about happy moments in my childhood
51.    Riding a motorbike	139.   Splurging
52.    Sex	140.   Playing cards
53.    Running a track	141.   Solving riddles mentally
54.    Going camping	142.   Having a political discussion
55.    Singing around the house	143.   Playing softball
56.    Arranging flowers	144.   Seeing and/or showing photos or slides
57.    Practicing religion (going to church, group praying, etc.)	145.   Learn a new instrument
58.    Losing weight	146.   Knitting
59.    Going to the beach	147.   Doing crossword puzzles
60.    Thinking I’m an OK person	148.   Shooting pool
61.    A day with nothing to do	149.   Dressing up and looking nice
62.    Having class reunions	150.   Reflecting on how I’ve improved
63.    Going skating	151.   Buying things for myself (perfume, golf balls, etc.)
64.    Going sail boating	152.   Talking on the phone
65.    Traveling abroad or in the United States	153.   Going to museums
66.    Go to the library or bookstore	154.   Thinking religious thoughts
67.    Doing something spontaneously	155.   Lighting candles
68.    Doing needlepoint, crewel, etc.	156.   Listening to the radio
69.    Sleeping	157.   Getting a massage
70.    Driving	158.   Saying “I love you”
71.    Entertaining	159.   Thinking about my good qualities
72.    Going to clubs (garden, Parents without Partners, etc.)	160.   Buying books
73.    Thinking about getting married	161.   Taking a sauna or a steam bath
74.    Going hunting	162.   Going skiing
75.    Singing with groups	163.   White-water canoeing
76.    Flirting	164.   Going bowling
77.    Playing musical instruments	165.   Doing woodworking
78.    Doing arts and crafts	166.   Fantasizing about the future
79.    Making a gift for someone	167.   Taking ballet, tap dancing
80.    Buying records	168.   Debating
81.    Watching boxing, wrestling	169.   Sitting in a sidewalk cafe
82.    Planning parties	170.   Having an aquarium
83.    Cooking	171.   Erotica (sex books, movies)
84.    Going hiking	172.   Going horseback riding
85.    Writing books (poems, articles)	173.   Becoming active in the community
86.    Sewing	174.   Buy some watercolors and paint a picture
87.    Buying clothes	175.   Making jigsaw puzzles
88.    Going out to dinner	176.   Thinking I’m a person who can cope