Ineffective or affective?

OK, so let's be honest - you've failed to keep your new year's resolutions even into the 2nd month of the year and you've got those February blues. Or maybe you wonder if you are suffering from SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder? According to the SADAssociation (yes, it exists…), it can be a disabling illness, caused by a chemical imbalance in the hypothalamus of the brain, due to a shortening of daylight hours and lack of sunlight in winter months. At its worst, the illness includes sleeping problems, lethargy, overeating, depression, loss of libido, mood changes and general heightened anxiety.

For others, this time of year also seems to engender mild but less specific symptoms that are debilitating - we feel tired, vulnerable, lacking in energy and pretty well unable to make decent decisions. We all know how much better we feel once we have made a decision, instead of spending hours, days and maybe nights (hence lack of sleep) interminably going round and round worrying about something - or often seemingly endless things - making no decisions and being frustratingly ineffective. Whatever the time of year, this is enough to make one below par and even more anxious. There are though, a couple of other reasons for NOT letting oneself get low in February. First - it is after all the shortest month of the year. And, second, Saint Valentine had the thoughtfulness to die in 249 A.D on the 14th, and for many, that can be one of the most positive and enjoyable days of the year, hardly a time to be glum!

Returning to decision making, there are a couple of available alternatives. We can set up another association called All-4-SAD standing for All Four Seasons Active Decision-making, to counteract those blues and tackle issues decisively and effectively. Or, more simply, use a coach to help reach your own conclusions on any issues that are worrying and affecting you, whether it is to do with yourself, your family, your business - work, colleagues or employees - or indeed your career. The first step is that a trouble shared IS a trouble halved, leading to the decision-making part, which can mean that there is no trouble at all. Now, that's both effective and a way to beat those winter blues.

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