BEAT THE BLUES AWAY

The foggy days, biting cold and low temperatures with dwindling sunlight force us to stay indoors. One feels more down than up, resulting in loneliness affecting not only people with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) but others’ moods too. As the darkness permeates, days get shorter, and the cold weather pushes us indoors. When one is feeling the chill here in the plains, imagine the inhospitable climate, biting cold and temperatures dipping below minus forty degrees at the Siachen Glacier, where sudden avalanches, gusty winds and crevasses with a potential threat to life, where there are chances of frostbites and hypothermia looms large. The soldiers posted there not only fight the adversary and weather but also fight loneliness when they stay away from civilisation for months. One wonders how they cope. 

The chilly weather can make us slip into winter doldrums, exacerbated in modern digitised times. There is an innate desire to connect, share experiences, and be part of each other’s life as humans are social beings. But the increasingly complex world is also making one feel disconnected. The high-paced life leaves little time to spend with loved ones. We are lonely in a world of advanced communication. Staying isolated became a norm during the pandemic, and we realised the effects of loneliness more than ever, wherein interactions were voices over the phone. 

The breakdown of community networks is increasing the level. Sadly, even though the solutions are simple, the complexity of modern life makes it arduous to work on solutions. The automated lives surrounded by gadgets result in anxiety and depression when the easier path is being in the company of people. Even when you initiate a conversation with a stranger, instant happiness engulfs you. 

Loneliness not only triggers diseases like heart disease, dementia and depression but is also the cause of varied addictions as lonely people try to find relief from lack of companionship or the feeling of being left out through addiction. They try to fill the gap of emptiness and end up getting their health affected by it. Stark warning by health experts equating loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes a day is scary and urgent enough to take serious action. It is no wonder that Japan and the UK have ministers who look into the problems of loneliness to fight the epidemic afflicting people worldwide. The ‘chatty bench’ or the talking cafe, where people are encouraged to interact with strangers, is the accepted way to fight loneliness. The human nature is such that we thrive in spending time with each other. We need to address the loneliness problem seriously to stop its spread.

Connecting with nature alleviates loneliness as the wilderness connects us with the broader world, and it is a healer that uplifts the cloud of loneliness away from us. Reconnecting with the ancestral land, community gardens and play spaces for children establish a deep connection and eliminate desolation. While I was grieving over the loss of my father, just driving through our ancestral place in Punjab lifted my spirits and unconsciously, I was humming the song, Country Roads Take Me Home to the Place I Belong………. By John Denver. 

Being grateful for all the blessings in one’s life helps you see the good in one’s life. Instead of brooding and waiting for the spring to cheer you up, enjoy the winter warmth. The healthy comfort food is the ideal antidote to the cold weather. Interacting with friends and family can boost anyone’s mood. Basking in the winter sunlight whenever possible helps you keep your spirits up. Artificial light might help some beat the blues away. A clean and fresh-smelling home will make you feel refreshed even when there is fog outside, and stepping out will make you catch a chill. 

Feeling forlorn is conquered by such tiny steps of reaching out to others as we wait for the sunshine to return to reduce the dreariness of the cold and foggy days. 

Pictures from Google