COMPETITION: Winter Blues- An epidemic (gasp)!

Posted by dulwichmum on Sun 8 November 2009

WHAT IS THIS VILE AFFLICTION?

Winter Blues is not some funky new young music stylie… all swear words, casual sex and body piercing (clutches chest), nor is it the latest shade of blue as determined by famed fashion guru Sara Berman… or even a popular social networking tool, Twitter is terribly now you know! Winter Blues is a well known disease that many Northern Europeans suffer from. It affects one’s overall mood and is attributable to being exposed to few sunlight hours (dabs tear from eye).

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS?

Winter Blues is a form of depression that takes place around the same time each year with the change of seasons, when the children go back to school and the dark evenings start to draw in. If you suffer two or more of the following symptoms each year in the autumn and into the winter, you may suffer from winter blues:

· Increased levels of lethargy and inertia. Some scientists have documented similarities to animals’ winter hibernation! Women have been known to wear shapeless, unflattering Ugg Boots and enormous shearling sheepskin jackets (OHMYGOD!).

· Difficulty in waking up in the mornings as the days gets shorter (the tendancy to polish off a bottle of Chablis as the evenings get longer can be such a problem).

· Increased craving for carbohydrate-rich foods like chocolate and ice cream – really now girls, you must control yourselves, think Kerry Catona… (gasp).

Tips to overcome Winter Blues

These tips will help you regain your equilibrium and survive this vile affliction.

Do some exercise

Aerobic exercise has proven to help people combat winter blues. OK, you have realized that I am joking, exercise is so damn undignified! Get yourself a Slendertone belt and watch the au pair walking the dog in the rain from your bedroom window, it really is incredibly mood enhancing.

Improve your diet with carbs

Carbohydrates are often effective in increasing serotonin levels in the brain. (OHMYGOD! How hilarious, not on your life! I do not intend to develop bingo wings, what could be more depressing?).

Get away for the weekend to get natural sunlight

Now, this is a prescription I can handle! If you suffer this disease you are obviously not exposed to sufficient sunlight! Take a break and travel to a destination that offers plenty of sunlight hours – simples!!!

Did you know that…?

Facts about Winter Blues

· It affects about four times as many women as men (so it is best to leave your man behind – a mini break will be wasted on him).

· Around 20% of Irish people are affected by Winter Blues! Jeremy Clarkson said that when he visited Ireland 10 years ago, all of the women had white skin and orange hair, when he visited recently, they all had white hair and yellow skin! San Tropez tan is sooo not the way to go! Head to the sun and lighten up!

· The Winter Blues is primarily caused by unstable melatonin levels, as well as serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for mood, hunger, and sleep. FOR GODS SAKE, GET TO THE SUN BEFORE YOU START TO DRIFT OFF WHILE LYING FACE DOWN IN A BOX OF BENDICKS BITTERMINTS!

· Although the Winter Blues are not as severe as long-term depression, they can change the way a person thinks, reacts, and deals with everyday challenges. It is for this reason that I am running a competion for two flights to the Canary Islands ! I am so incredibly civic minded (smirk)!

All that I ask is that you tell me why you should receive the free flights and what you like best about the Canary Islands – you must be both over 18 and able to travel between Dec 09 (excluding Christmas and New year and must have personal comprehensive insurance ) – March 10th.

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 Trivial Persuits

Posted by dulwichmum on Thu 5 November 2009

I have been so very busy over the last week (sigh), my grooming routine is both relentless and exhausting… (ha!).

No, seriously, I have been melancholy, reflecting, on how we fill our lives with unnecessary frippery, detail and deadlines here in Dulwich, making ourselves so very stressed, losing focus of what is important…

I long for a simpler life (sigh).

My babies chant their times tables in bed at night, wearing the sweet little earphones from their MP3 players even while they sleep. James has loaded their Grade 2 violin pieces onto R4 chips so that even their Nintendos are helping them to cram for impending music exams and the study is strewn with Kumon work books.

I myself have obsessed unnecessarily about various issues, from my being cruelly manipulated into posing for a charity calendar by the PTA (YIKES) to the ageing process (sob). I noticed an increased proliferation of fine downy hair under my chin (OHMYGOD!), and panicked that I was careering towards the menopause, so I picked up some facial wax strips in Boots. I have been left with red abrasions all over my chin (wail). My super soft skin is sooo sensitive (dabs tear from eye).

This morning, when I dropped my perfect son to school, it became clear to me that several of the older boys have procured copies of the new PTA calendar. One very tall, (no more than 12 year old) chap strode over to me with a broad smile and a wink. “You have carpet burns on your chin,” he announced (gasp) “You’re Smoking”.

“You don’t think he meant you have the fine lines and wrinkles of a smoker?” chirped evil Francesca, handing me her compact and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“No, sweetie, he means I am fabulous in the PTA calendar, it is an expression that young people use” (smirk).

I really shouldn’t stress about trivia you know, everything is fabulous here in Dulwich. I am off to the garden annex to fire the au pair, I intend to replace her with an ex-Gurkha, graduate, Mandarin speaking manny (perfectly equipped to complete the various Duke of Edinburgh Award tasks and expeditions to provide the poppets an edge on their UCAS forms when they apply for medical school). Well, after the comments that Prince Edward made in Australia, I am not taking any chances with my progeny… avoiding the stress of trivia is a top priority!

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