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Beating the Blues

Are you feeling touchy or pessimistic? Do you have difficulty getting up  in the morning? Do you crave carbs and find yourself dreaming about those muffins and pepperoni rolls in the dining hall? Well, you’re not alone. These are just a few of the symptoms of SAD — Seasonal Affective Disorder, more commonly known in its milder form as “the February Blues.”

Don’t tell me you haven’t felt them. Second semester has started full force, and now that the excitement of new classes has worn off, things are starting to look a little daunting. Papers loom on the horizon, incomprehensible problem sets beckon and finishing your readings looks impossible. People walk with their heads down and clutch mugs of extra-strength coffee in their hands. You may have recognized all of this with faint confusion and wondered, “Why?” The answer, of course, is that it’s February. The second month of the year is always approached cautiously, with slippered feet. People try to avoid confrontations and seek out sunshine in an attempt to chemically alter our impending February blues. It always sneaks up on us. We’re not ready because we’re still wishing we could bask in the holiday glow and embrace the magical promises of the New Year. Then February hits like the proverbial ton of bricks or, in this case, ice blocks.

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In Old English, February was known by the terms “Solmonath” and “Kale-Monath,” meaning “mud month” and “cabbage month,” which I think just about sums up what one can expect from this month — mucky dirt and lumpy vegetables. Perhaps these names could be considered a little optimistic — the freezing cold and miserably gray days that characterize February are not going to allow us to see mud anytime soon. Sorry, ain’t gonna happen. And besides, who in their right mind gets excited by cabbage? Don’t answer.

Why do I shudder when I think of this month? Why do I smile cynically when I find that it has been associated with dirt for hundreds of years? First there’s the weather. At this point, I’m done with snow. Bring on the spring already!  I’m tired of shivering, wearing five layers all the time and looking like a yeti or the Michelin Man every time I step outside. I know I’m not alone in this because February is the month where we are desperate enough to beg a groundhog to inform us when winter will end. New Year’s resolutions, idealistically made, have fallen by the wayside weeks ago. Of course, for students there’s also the stress of getting back to work at school. All of this without even considering the ever-controversial Valentine’s Day. I mean, love is great and all, but do we really need a commercialized holiday to honor it? Is the forced recognition of our commitment to another person in the form of chocolates really the way to liven up the winter? For all of us single people who are struggling with the February Blues (and we’re only halfway through the month at this point), it’s really just a slap in the face. A reminder, at a critically sensitive time of the year, that some of us are unloved and un-chocolated. Gee, thanks world.

The other 11 months of the year I’m a happy, optimistic person, so it bothers me that February gets to me so much. So this year I decided I would change. I would find a way to beat the February Blues! 

I started by thinking of all the reasons to appreciate February. February hosts the birthdays of two of our most popular American presidents, George Washington (Feb. 22) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12). It is the raison d’etre for groundhogs (Feb. 2) and presents a month-long celebration of black history. Every four years it even sneaks in one extra special day, promising a rejuvenating leap year. These are all good reasons to embrace February.

If that’s not enough to change your attitude, here are some more suggestions. First, listen to some good music. A student research project with college students at Pennsylvania State University proved that listening to music of any kind made participants in the study significantly more optimistic, friendly and relaxed. Have grouchy roommates? Start blasting some good-mood tunes and you’ll be sure to avoid a conflict. On second thought, plug in your headphones and at least you’ll be happy and unable to hear their grumblings. Indulge yourself. Go out to T. Sweets or Bent Spoon for a tasty treat. Take advantage of the massages you’ve seen advertised next to the napkins in the dining hall. Spend an hour watching your favorite TV show or movie. Heck, spend two hours — you’ll be glad you did.

Another option is exercise. It might be hard to drag yourself to Dillon for a workout, but this is something you won’t want to skip. In the words of Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde”: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill their husbands” (or roommates, or that kid in precept...). Even just getting changed to go to the gym and looking like you’ve worked out (whether you ran six miles or ran half a mile and cramped up) will make you feel good about yourself. Finally, get some sunshine! Plants aren’t the only organisms that need light. No, you’re not going to start growing taller or anything like that, but exposure to light has been shown to significantly improve mood. It’s actually one of the treatments for people with SAD. So if people ask you why you’re curled up like a cat in the sunny spot in the corner of your room, let them know that it’s a medically approved treatment. You can totally justify taking that nap in the sunshine at two in the afternoon because you’re soaking up some vitamin D at the same time. 

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February is an undeniably tough month for many reasons, giving rise to the lethargy and depression we call the “February Blues.” With the word “rue” hidden right in the name, it’s hard not to have feelings of dislike for the shortest month of the year (where people are coincidentally shortest of temper). But at the same time, there is still hope. The Latin name for the month stems from the word “februum” meaning “purification.” With the right attitude and the help of some songs, sweat and sunshine, February can transform from a period of gloom to a time of joy.

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