Using Creativity To Ward Off The Winter Blues...Waiting For The Spring Melt!

After hibernating over the holiday season I lost a bit of my creativity to the "winter blues". Although I have noticed this year that my Seasonal Affective Disorder has not been as bad as in previous years. I am positive this is because of the combination of exercise and making my jewelry. When I am feeling anxious and nothing seems to distract me from those feelings, I have been able to keep my hands busy by beading.

I find that beading keeps me out of the refrigerator when the "seasonal" cravings for carbs hits. I am a person that likes to finish things once I get them started, so taking a break just to raid the cookie jar is not a priority when I am working on a bracelet. In fact, beading is a total distraction to everything stressful that is going on in my life because I am able to get lost in the creative process. It is so important with mental illness to learn how to distract yourself from the negative thoughts, this is something that I am still learning how to do.

I know I am not completely cured and that I have a long road ahead of me. I more than likely will always have to deal with the effects of having a mental illness, however, I look forward now to the possibility of being stable.