I NEED some sunshine!

“I know you know what I'm talking about. I think it's a mild case of SAD. I'm calling it the hibernation syndrome.

I go to work in the dark, come home in the dark, only see the light through my office window. On the weekend it's, "Oh, cool my yard is still there"

Makes me sleepy and lethargic...and a bear at times”

“A walk in the winter woods is good for that.”

“Yes, luckily it's going to be nice this weekend. Still only partly sunny, but I'll take it. If only I didn't have to go 5 days w/o each week.”

“dhutch, make sure you have the highest watt bulbs in your lamps etc.

Go see the movie Sideways. It takes place in the sunny vineyards of CA. It will make you feel good for the 2+ hours that it takes to see the movie.”

“I mean the highest wattage bulbs the lighting fixtures can hold. I don't want you burning down your place:) Now that would give you plenty of light, lol:)”

“dhutch...come over to SC...I think we had almost 70 degrees today and sunny blue sky!!”

“Go take a hike!
http://community.webshots.com/photo/240027957/240036639CGYKIz
last edited: 12/30/04 4:19:26 PM”

“I want to meet sunshine too!”

“Did someone call?? ;o)”

“Are you givin' it away?”

“Dang, Currahee!!!
At least take her out for dinner and a movie first! ;-)”

“I thought she offered!”

“

---

Yes, dhutch1, I'm sure you could use some sunshine. My daughter suffered from the lack of sunshine while she was a student at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. They had a name for it. It may have been SAD, Societal Anxiety Disorder. Here is all I could find in a hurried search:

"Depression is an illness that affects many people of all ages ... SAD) is
a form of depression that is associated with a lack of sunshine that occurs ... "
Google - search on "lack of sunshine"

"Societal Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia). SAD is extreme anxiety about being judged by others or behaving in such a way that might cause embarrassment or ridicule. The symptoms include extreme perspiring, blushing, heart palpitations, and faintness." On one of the sites from the abouve search.

"Summary: Several studies have shown that full spectrum light (natural sunlight) has unequivocal positive effects on students. Specifically, students with natural sunlight (1) learned faster, (2) had overall higher test scores, (3) grew faster (physically), and (4) had 1/3 fewer absences due to illness. These benefits of natural sunlight were in addition to other well-known effects such as improved mood and improved sleeping patterns. The same studies noted that students exposed to natural sunlight had 2/3 fewer cavities than expected."
http://www.sunshinerooms.com/health.html

last edited: 12/30/04 6:00:01 PM”

“I thought it was called "seasonal affective disorder"

http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/27.cfm”

“As soon as days start getting shorter, I know it. I've always thought I have SAD -- yes, twigsta, ya bicht (is that right?? lol) -- SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. And man, did today suck!! Cloudy and RAINING! I hadn't set alarm and didn't even wake up till nearly 9. It was that dark out!”

“It is.”

“..what Nimblefoot said..”

“This is the way we like to see you.



Good link, twigeater. That is probably it.
last edited: 12/30/04 6:21:33 PM”

“yeah lizs, you bithc!!...or whatever, LOL...
=D

I've never been bothered by the lack of daylight or the shorter days. Prolly 'cause I live like a mole and always have on sunglasses anyway...plus I'm a night owl.
I used to work 11pm-7am 6 nights a week and loved it.”

“Yeah, when I got up this morning my computer screen had a big golden sun on it with a promised of weather in the 40's. Instead I got freezing rain with the road outside my house like a hockey rink. I didn't give in and still drove to the fitness center and did 2 hours up and down the hockey arena stairs with my pack and then picked up a book to accompany me on the AT (The Appalachian Trail: A Visitors Companion). I don't know of any other way to fight the winter blahs then just do battle with it by keeping active. It does seem worse because the snow hasn't been fit to ski in. Gotta keep on truckin' tho.”

“Working the hours I do the lack of sun doesn't bother me that much. I do make sure to get up early once every couple of weeks or so and spend the day outside. That seems to charge my batteries pretty well”

“The darker days and more clouds and rain does not bother me in WA. We get some fog and the drizzly rain just adds to the nice atmosphere out here, and brings out the aroma of evergreens.”

“Hormone cycles/biochemical pathways are an amazing thang. I'll try to be brief, plus I'm recalling this from 2 biochem courses:

Tryptophan ->(something) -> Serotonin -> Melatonin


Sunlight, UV specifically, acts with the "something" and makes Serotonin. UV is absorbed by your skin, sunglasses or not.

Serotonin is a "Happy Hormone". Too much HH and Melatonin is produced, knocking you out. Too little sunlight? Production of Seretonin is reduced. With it melatonin and perhaps actually causing difficulty in sleep.

And yes, it's not Tryptophan in Turkey/poultry that knocks you out, it's the end product of Melatonin.

Like most hormones/steroids, the amounts are strictly controlled by the body. And why any artificial consumption of these chemicals can be very damaging.

Any questions?”

“Yes.
If you are in the science field (whatever it is you do) how come you have to work two jobs...and is the second job as a waiter worth it?”

“My Mom had Seasonal Affective Disorder pretty bad, which was one reason we moved to Florida. God, I miss the cloudy grey skies and cool weather!”

“It's 54 degrees here right now...but the sunshine is only in my mind.”

“My mom had Every Season Affective Disorder, j/k.”

“LOL!

Without a Ph.D I'm paid crap. ;)

Are the two jobs worth it? I would have to say yes. I needed to get out of my last job and knew there were going to be financial consequences. My stress levels at the other job were off the scale.”

“My stress leveal has just come WAYYYYY down considering I just filed for chapter 7. no more $550,000 worth of hospital bills for me.:) Ah...I can afford to buy food and clothes again (and most importantly new gear!)”

“So is posting here about relieving stress or creating it?”

“ah ha!
I always wanted to know that...
last edited: 12/30/04 6:49:32 PM”

“There are lots of ways to releave stress. My favorite involves leather and mike.”

“"I miss the cloudy grey skies"

Treebait, you got me rolling with laughter. You surely jest. Day after day of that is one reason I no longer want to live up north again. This is what I enjoy.”

“I'll probably have to demote, but I need almost 5 more years with the State.

My doc said "get a different job!"

cause here we sit, not doing a freakin' thing...waiting for "permission" to leave our chairs. this place sucks”

“Some of the women were getting ready to leave one night last week around 11pm or so...they were planning their walk out to their cars cause they didn't want to walk out alone in the dark. I said, what difference does it make, when you leave at 4pm it's dark too and you all walk out alone.”

“What do you do, if I may ask?

What do you do, if I may not?”

“me?

budget analyst.”

“Twig - wanted to know what?

And Yeah, if the doc says get another job then get another job!”

“Nowslimmer, I'm happier when it's grey and crappy outside. Really.”

“wanted to know why you were a waiter and a science guy...

It hasn't always been like this. We do normally have to work round the clock type hours for a brief period, but not into the holidays. We have a new boss and she's a nazi. Misery loves company, and she won't rest until we're all as misery ridden as she is.
Too bad there's a GD hiring freeze.”

“I got into trouble once because I tried to give money back at the end of the budget year. I also got into trouble by not asking for a budget increase.”

“yeah twig, a job isnt worth your health. If your misserable its better to move on. Or get a leather whip and some chains...what ever works.”

“bad, bad nimblefoot!

those are HUGE no nos!”

“I agree Spirit Coyote! on both counts...
=D”

“I know, but their complete disregard for the taxpayer (all the while #&%!$ing about high taxes) just pissed me off.”

“yes I know what you mean. It's never about the good of the people, it's all about re election.

You should see some of the #&%!$ in this budget...I made smart mouth notes all over it when we were reviewing it - trying to make light about being here at midnight with my eyes falling outta my head - it was NOT well received, LOL...some people have NO sense of humor.”

“Many people have a heard time understanding that having fun at your job doesn't mean you don't give a damn. I've worked for people that really appreciated my humor and for those that thought I was an agent of the Devil...or was that my ex?”

“Anyway, I'm ready to go whenever they boot my ass out...I've taken down all my maps and pictures, wrote all the stuff on my PC to CDs, and cleaned out my drawers. Only two small drawers had any work stuff in them, and has supplies...the rest were filled with stamps and envelopes, tea and other lunch stuff, shoes...I musta thought I lived here or something!”

“The nesting instinct (don't hit me). Good luck in whatever you do.”

“Many people have a heard time understanding that having fun at your job doesn't mean you don't give a damn.
Nimblefoot

No kiddin'!
When my last boss asked how to contact me on a day off, I'd say "1-800-IM IN THE WOODS!" and we'd have a good laugh. If I said that to this boss, she'd chew me out for my attitude.”