Posted on 01/23/2006 5:34:32 PM PST by blam
It's not just you: yesterday really was depressing
By Catriona Davies
(Filed: 24/01/2006)
If you woke up yesterday feeling gloomy and found that, from then on, things got worse, there may be an explanation. According to one academic's calculations, yesterday was the most depressing day of the year.
Cliff Arnall, a psychologist at Cardiff University who devised the formula, blamed a combination of debts, failed New Year's resolutions, the cold, grey weather and the length of time since Christmas.
"For most people, there's a realisation by the third week of January that spending on sales items needs to be stopped so that Christmas can be paid for," he said.
Those employees who are paid at the end of the month have had a long wait to replenish their coffers, he said. "Nearing pay day may seem like a positive, but it may also result in increased stress as the person realises they won't be able to pay off their Christmas bills."
The part of Mr Arnall's formula that relates to the weather lived up to expectations yesterday. Sancha Lancaster, of the Met Office, said: "Most of the country is gloomy and under cloud, with temperatures struggling to get above 5C [41F].
"The last week in January and first week in February are traditionally the coldest times of the year." The average amount of sunshine for January was only 43 hours - less than an hour and a half a day.
The Citizens Advice Bureau and Samaritans both agreed that this was their busiest time of the year.
Don Levene, a CAB spokesman, said: "People are getting their credit card bills and may have spent more than they can afford. Most people were paid a week early before Christmas which makes January particularly long money-wise."
Mike Cobb, of the Samaritans, said: "We get more calls from people feeling depressed or suicidal at this time of year. There is Seasonal Affective Disorder because of the lack of sunlight, and people are returning to the worries that they put behind them at Christmas."
Take Vitamin D. (at least 400IU daily. Black and dark people need to take more, I don't know how much more though.)
And what do you take for the credit card bills?
"I was feeling a little down yesterday, myself."
Me too, all weekend, even though the weather here in the NYC metro area was spectacular. So blam, thanks for posting this, good to know it's not just me!
Take a part-time job.
It's been a very gray fall and winter here in Vermont, but yesterday was absolutely beautiful. A perfect day, blue sky, fairly warm.
A bit depressing today, however. Snowed all day, gray sky. The only interesting note was that I actually stopped to tell a state policewoman who was supervising a tow truck that was picking up a car that went off the road that there was another car off the road about a mile further. It was upside down in a ditch, but the owner was standing by it cheerfully, waiting for help.
Normally I give state policewomen a wide birth. They can be very scary. This one actually smiled and thanked me.
A big old dose of delayed gratification. LOL.
It took me 15 years, but we learned that via experience. Now officially consumer debt free for 5 years. : D. We feel much, much better!
Denver getting their helmets handed to them didn't help matters any.
Unusually warm here (Mobile) too. I've had the AC on for parts of yesterday and today.
I was down, but I'd been in the office for 21 days straight wrestling with major server issues and still can't get a moment's break. I missed most of the playoffs too.
Air conditioning, eh? What I meant by "fairly warm" for January in Vermont is around 25 or 30 degrees.
So far we've been almost free of arctic air masses, which come down from Canada and take things down to zero, or 20 or 30 below at night. Evidently, so far this winter, the artic air is all slopping down into Europe and Russia. They're welcome to it.
Excuse me, but STEELERS WON!!! How could it be a depressing day!!!
That cold mass from Russia is settling down on Interior Alaska too. Oh well, -20 will seem warm again after this next cold spell. We're supposed to hit -40 (F) tonight. Cabin fever is setting in a bit, and dang it all, someone hid my knives again. LOL ;)
I can tell when it gets below minus 20, because the cold water pipe to my bathtub freezes. I turn on the tap and nothing comes out. It used to freeze around zero when we first moved in here, but we took off some clapboards and sheathing and put in some insulation, so things are a little better.
Fortunately the plumber used plastic for that length of pipe, so it freezes and thaws without bursting.
If Alaska is getting the artic air now, I imagine it will start moving east sometime later this winter.
I was going to say! Yesterday's playoff games were great, and made it a pretty great day, especially for Steelers and Seahawks fans!
(Myself, I'm a Cowboys fan, but I still really enjoyed the games.)
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Now I'm depressed.
ROFL
You're the only one who got it.
I had two 'serious' replies.
It may sound amazing, but even at -50 to -60 our plumbing doesn't freeze. That's because we built our log home with ALL plumbing on interior walls, and even our well has a drainback system. The propane used to stop flowing at brutal cold temps, but that was cured with an insulated box, burying the line deeper, and heat tape if we're real desperate. LOL
I hope this spell doesn't swoop down on your area. But if it does, you obviously know how to survive it. :)
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