"I've Got Sunshine on a Cloudy Day"
Who doesn't love sunshine? Who doesn't prefer a sunny day over a cloudy day? Who doesn't find that a little sunshine can brighten even a depressing day?
Before I moved into my new apartment last year, I painted the whole place a soft pale yellow. It's a sunny place anyways but when the sun shines, the yellow walls make it even brighter. (And if the sun doesn't shine it still seems sunny!) Sometimes when we come home from being away it's so bright that we check and make sure we didn't leave the lights on!
It helps, it really does. And because of depression I spend a lot of time at home and so the brightness of my yellow walls is always with me. But I've found a way to add to that brightness, indoors or out.
You have probably heard about SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder?
You may have heard of sunlamps, or 'light therapy boxes' which are recommended for those SAD sufferers. The truth is that we can all suffer from a bit of SAD once in awhile whether we have depression or not.
Well I have something cheaper to buy and cheaper to use because it doesn't require electricity. And it's not bulky so it takes up less storage space.
Recently I lost my sunglasses. We keep two kinds of sunglasses in our car, one for daytime and one for nighttime. The night glasses are designed to cut out on the glare from the oncoming traffic.
Well, without my regular sunglasses I was kind of lost and so I put on the night glasses, even during the day. I figured it was better than nothing.
WOW!
It was amazing! Instant sunlight! Those glasses can make any day brighter. Why I may even wear them around the house on a dreary day.
The whole purpose of this Depression Getaway blog is to share ideas for getting away from depression. Even if the getaway lasts only a moment or two like a piece of chocolate, or longer like a hot bath, maybe a whole day like a visit from your new grandbaby, or even longer after you find a new medication that really makes a big difference, all getaways count!
These sunglasses are just a little getaway but hey, maybe you would like to add them to your very own personal arsenal of 'depression getaways'.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? How are you feeling today? Do you feel sadder when the sun doesn't shine? Is your depression worse in the winter? You may want to consider a light therapy box, or some nighttime sunglasses.
Don't give up! There is hope for depression.
