Fighting Doldrums

I watch how the moon sits in the sky; On a dark night shining with the light from the sun; The sun doesn't give light to the moon; Assuming the moon's going to owe it one ~ Linkin Park

These past days, I find myself arriving at work before the sun is up and heading for home after the sun has set. It's not that I am working longer hours, it's that the sun has moved into winter hiding.

I live in the Northern hemisphere and we have moved into the time of year darkness is more dominant than is the life giving sun light, a time of year, when the temperatures quickly drop below freezing and can hover in the single digits for weeks on end. More than the cold, the lack of the sun is a  bigger challenge for me.  I think I could handle the cold more easily if the sun blessed me with it's presence for more hours during the day.

Alas, one can't change nature so I must adapt strategies to maintain my mental and physical health. Starting yesterday, I went back to the gym after a hiatus of a couple of months in which I exercised sporadically. Prior to that, I was working out in the gym 3 days a week and frequently riding my bicycle. I think the gym will be a key ingredient in feeding my mental and physical health. I also must not get into the habit of sitting in front of the tube to often which can easily happen when trapped in the house by the frigid weather. It's time I will spend reading or working at a hobby. Yes, there is a long cold road ahead but, I believe, the strategies I am putting into place will help me come out the far side in better shape than when I entered the winter.