Feeling
Dull?
“Doldrums:
in low spirits; feeling dull and drowsy.” The Phrase Finder
Website
Everyone
I've spoken with this week is feeling flat, having low energy, and at
odds with themselves. My friend, Isie, says she just wants to
hibernate. I think it's a combination of unusually cold weather and
the fatigue that descends after the high-energy of the holidays.
Unlike a sprint, which requires full-out speed for a short distance,
and a short time for recovery, the holidays are more akin to a
marathon, or in some cases, a triathlon. When they're over, we're
tired, and it takes a while to get the wind back in our sails. I think
of this time as the annual doldrums.
The
word doldrums refers to a region of calm winds, centered just north of
the equator and between the two belts of the trade winds. It is where
the trade winds meet and neutralize each other. Sailing ships of
yesteryear found themselves becalmed there, unable to continue on
their journey. But the word is older than that, and means “dullard;
a dull or sluggish fellow.” According the the Phrase Finder
Website, it is the opposite of tantrum, a fit of passion and
petulance; doldrums is a fit of sloth and dullness. The winter doldrums is a fact of life. It is a period of stagnation.
Just
as sailing ships had no recourse but to wait for the wind, we have
none except to be patient and kind to ourselves. We must allow our
speed to be slow, and not push ourselves beyond our limits. When we
try to go too fast, we make mistakes and feel even more “out of it.”
The body/mind has its requirements too, and this time of year it
needs recovery.
Take
time today to be in harmony with the season and with your body. Allow
it to move at its own speed. Do the things that you feel comfortable
doing, and leave the rest for another day. The doldrums will be over
soon enough, and we'll be back to full speed, but just for today,
let's be-calmed.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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