Tag: seasonal affective disorder

The Darkest Days

Posted on by Staci Mauney

For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help (Ps 22:24).

In Oklahoma, we usually have a deep cold snap about this time of year. It was right on time this year, and it’s so deep and long it’s breaking records. In fact, we’re still in the middle of it. As someone who suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), I’m worn out by time February comes along. January drags, but the dreary, gray days of February take their toll as winter tightens its grip before finally giving way to spring.

During cold, dismal February, grief feels like it’s compounded. Not only are we dealing with a stretch of eleven days without sunshine (or maybe thirteen—but who’s counting?), but we’re also still dealing with the impact of the global pandemic. Continue reading “The Darkest Days” →

Battling the Winter Blues

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Authors’s note: This award-winning post was originally published on March 4, 2018.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Th 5:11)

The long, cold winter and gray skies were bringing me down. It seemed winter would never end, and this year my seasonal affective disorder (SAD-an apt acronym if ever there was one) has been triggered more often than in many recent years. The older I get, the more I hate cold weather, which is common of many of us who have SAD. The combination of cold, gray skies, and short days is enough to send me into a spiral of irritability and sadness. I try to keep those feelings to myself so that I won’t damage my relationships, but my friends and family who know me best are aware of how I feel and try to encourage me and talk me through it. Continue reading “Battling the Winter Blues” →

Focusing on Health in 2019

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Cor 10:31

As I look back over 2018, I’m repeatedly drawn to my health goals. My goal was simply to be healthier. It was a pretty broad goal, to be sure, and I realize now that I wasn’t specific enough in how I wanted to reach that goal. Many of the health problems I experienced in 2018 could have been prevented. Some were caused by pushing myself too hard. I worked even when I was sick, rarely taking a day off, which leads to more illness and potential burnout. I also struggled with seasonal depression more than usual, so this year, I’m taking steps to combat that issue. You can read all about it here in my recent blog post. Continue reading “Focusing on Health in 2019” →

Surviving the Dreary Days of Winter

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps 27:1)

Now that we’ve settled into January, you may notice you’ve been feeling a little down. The January blues is a real mood disorder that can be brought about by many things such as taking the holiday decorations down, going back to work after extended time off, or spending too much money during the holidays. It’s situational, and that’s what makes it different from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is due to lack of sunlight. The January blues usually last for a few weeks, while SAD can last for months, and for some people, the two mood disorders can coincide.

Knowing that I suffer from SAD, I’m preparing for the long, dark days ahead. The week after Christmas was a dreary one here in Oklahoma, and I noticed symptoms of SAD, including irritability and forgetfulness, setting in quickly. Continue reading “Surviving the Dreary Days of Winter” →

Thankful for the Lessons of Autumn

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (Jn 12:24)

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons, and it rarely lasts long here in Oklahoma. Sometimes, we don’t see much of autumn at all – the weather stays in the 80s and 90s before dropping into the 40s and 50s, and the leaves simply die and fall from the trees.

This year, the leaves have turned glorious colors. We’ve received a lot of rain and had many below-average temperature days in the 50s and 60s. It’s actually felt like fall. While I’m not ready for winter, I’m thankful for the glimpse these cool fall days give us of the beauty of God’s creation through nature.

We can learn many lessons from the autumn season. As the seasons change, I’m reminded that although change is hard, it can also be beautiful. The falling leaves show us how important it is to embrace change in order to move forward. Without autumn, we would have nothing to look forward to in the spring. While it looks as if everything is dead, fall is a time for dormancy – a temporary death, if you will – that results in rebirth in the spring. Fall is a beautiful metaphor for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Just as his death wasn’t permanent, neither is the death we see during the fall. Continue reading “Thankful for the Lessons of Autumn” →