Depression

From time to time, I get locked in to my work. I do not get out of the house for days on end and stay locked into the monitor on my computer.

The result of this hiding out could be what some people call “cabin fever”. This is defined by Wikipedia as “a slang term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a party is isolated and/or shut in, alone or together, for an extended period. Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, forgetfulness, and excessive sleeping.”

It is not know exactly where the term originated. It may have been when the early settlers were kept in their cabins for long periods of time. Or it may have been the result of explorers crossing the seas on ocean crossing sailing trips and having to stay in their cabins for most of the trip.

All I know about it is that the result is that my wife tells me that I need to get out and go for a ride. Getting on my bicycle and riding for 30 minutes to an hour will snap me out of my cabin fever.

For me the way to get out of this mild depression is to get out and participate in life. To get out of the house and see something other than my computer screen.

The result of this “disease” is that one may become “restless, irritable and discontent”.

Get Off Of Your Butt

I am not sure why it happens or how some activity can cause it to go away. But, I think that if you have been feeling this way, get busy.

Go for a walk, go for a ride be it in a car, on a bicycle, on a horse. Just something to get the juices flowing and flush out the depression.

Here is Jack LaLanne’s take on the secret to happiness (it includes exercise).

Life is as good as I allow it to be.

Technorati Tags: cabin fever

Have you ever had one of those days that you just wanted to sit and do nothing? A day where you had no energy either physically or emotionally to do anything?

If you do not have a phyiscal reason (sickness), then one of the best ways to handle this problem is to get up and do something. Get out of your funk by participating in life.

My daughter just had twins and has been experiencing some depression. This past weekend, my daughter-in-law came to visit with her three kids. All of them got out of the house and went to the park for a few hours. It was one of the best things my daughter could have done for her spirits.

When I start getting into a bad mood, my wife will look at me and ask if I need to go for a (bicycle) ride. It is like I get cabin fever and just need to get on the bike for an hour or so. This action will snap me right back into feeling good.

I have no idea about the chemical implications of taking action. But, I do know that when I get in a “blue funk”, one of the best things for me to do is get up and out of the house and participate in some kind of physical action.