Ophelia Among the FlowersOdilon Redon, 1905-1908
Do you ever wake up in a good mood in the morning, and you have no idea why? It has been happening to me lately, and it's almost frightening. Well, not frightening, exactly, but definitely puzzling. I have been struggling with a cold for the past two weeks, and I should be cranky as h*ll, but I'm not. At one time in my life I was a *morning* person, but lately - not so much. I would be very happy if the work day started at around, oh, 11:30 or noon.
In an article in Psychology Today, "Bad moods are the stuff dreams are made of, at least according to two new studies. Dreams can fix your foul disposition each night--and if you're depressed, dreams may predict whether you'll beat the blues within a year. It's natural to wake up in the morning with a sunny outlook, relieved of the previous evening's worries. In fact, studies show that a solid night of sleep improves mood in healthy individuals. But sleep's effects on healthy and depressed people are as different as night and day. People who are clinically depressed actually feel worse after snoozing, since they have more abstract, disorienting dreams." ~~ Psychology Today
I have been experiencing some strange dreams lately. Last night I was figure skating on a wonderful outdoor pond. I could feel the ice beneath my skate blades as I completed perfectly executed toe loops and triple Salchows -- things I have never been able to do in my real life. I guess my brain decided it was time to have some fun, after being confined to the indoors for a few days.
My mother was affected by the amount of sunlight during the day. In the winter months she suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder, but in the summer months she was a different person. She came alive in April. Perhaps I have inherited that tendency. Living in a northern climate, we go through long winter months of short days and long dark nights. I have a friend who also experiences Seasonal Affective Disorder, and her remedy is to spend the winter months in a sunny climate -- Hawaii, Australia, the Philippines...
*sigh*
Tomorrow is the 1st of May. Time to put away the winter coats and the winter blues. Summer will soon be here.
14 comments:
I live in Portland and our winters are long and rainy... I believe that SAD is kinda true.... I know I feel much better come May or June. And guess what that time of the year is here.... time to be ridiculously freekin happy!!!
Steve, I like that -- ridiculously freekin happy!! Yes!
Tomorrow is the first day of May! Time to hang May baskets on doorknobs and grab a ribbon (I get the green one!) attached to the May Pole and dance, dance, dance! Happy sunshine to you!
Sparkle, yes! I used to dance the May Pole dance when I was a little girl. I loved it. We always did it to the British quick march. Great memories.
Happy sunshine to you too!
I remember the May Day of my younger years...May poles and May baskets left on front porches, little girls giggling with delight as they hid in the bushes waiting for you to discover the baskets. Now May Day is about anarchy and disrupting our cities...when did this happen?
JoJo! Yes, the world has changed, hasn't it? May poles and May baskets have all but disappeared.
And this morning I woke up to the sound of rain pounding on the roof. I was immediately SAD! But the wind is blowing the clouds away right now so hopefully, tomorrow will really feel like spring!
Leslie, I always sleep better when it's raining like that, for some strange reason. I love the rain -- but only at night. :-)
This is really weird, but last night I also dreamed that i was on ice skates. Completely different scenario, but on ice skates. i had forgotten the skates part until I read your post. Strange!
P.s. I put a May Basket on my daughter's doorknob today (I have to work on real May Day) and sent a "May Basket by mail" to a friend. (flat stuff like stickers)
This is the first I've heard of *May baskets* - so it must be an American or Canadian thing - like the awful trick or treat imported into the UK some years ago.
May baskets seem much nicer, whatever they are, or were.
Dreams are nature's way of opening one's sub-concious mind - and they can be delightful or terrifying.
I dreamt last night of reversing my car and the brakes wouldn't work. The car sped up and up and I had no control. Explain that! Mr. Freud.
it sounds like your dreams are saying,
"yes, it's almost summer!"
//But sleep's effects on healthy and depressed people are as different as night and day. People who are clinically depressed actually feel worse after snoozing, since they have more abstract, disorienting dreams.//
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Kappu
Hi Jo, I'm a recent fan but have been enjoying your blog posts very much and also the paintings you have posted. You definitely have talent and I wish you well with your painting. I recently got back into painting myself...couldn't quite believe how few paintings I've done the past few years. Perhaps I should not post so much to my blog!
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