Uninspired.

(c) Steven Knight courtesy stock.xchng (www.sxc.hu). All rights reserved.

Lately I’ve been so uninspired. Can you tell? I haven’t posted since election day.

I’ve got my stable of inspiration-related blogs to read, cataloged and ready to go. And it seems that over the past few months when I read a post, I’m either less inspired than I was before or the post just makes me mad.

What is that?Where did this blah-anger (blanger?) come from?

I’ve thought about it some — ignored it mostly — and here’s what I’ve come up with. The election, while incredibly inspiring (sorry if you’re not an Obama person…I clearly am), was also exhausting. A close relative was all but taken down by a stroke. Then the economy tumbled…some more. Then the holidays hit. Then we were expected to be all happy it was 2009, and make some exciting new resolutions for ourselves. And I did. And I haven’t kept any of them. And now everything seems a little worse.

Mid-winter is hard for me. It’s hard for a lot of people. Just do a google search for “mid-winter blues,” and you’ll know what I mean if you’re not a fellow sufferer. I’ve always been a little low-energy this time of year, but this year. It’s just a little more magnified. With all the bad news of late (and yes, I’m a total news hound), I’ve been absorbing it all. Plus we’ve (as in, the U.S.) has experienced a harsher-than-usual winter. And that means less time outside. Lack of sunlight is a proven depressant. Not to mention the lack of exercise that naturally accompanies lengthy indoor stays.

What’s the solution? One guy with the Chicago Sun-Times suggests playing hooky and going ice fishing. Some genius over at Cosmo swears flavored lip gloss is the cure. And yet another recommedation to beat the blues? Poetry.

I’m definitely on board with staying home from work, and I do love my lipgloss. Poetry? Maybe.

Honestly, the trick to pushing through the winter blues, mean reds, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the blahs isn’t a trick at all. Being patient, giving yourself a break, recognizing it’s a stressful time and doing your best to mitigate it…these can be the best “cures” for what ails those of us who aren’t their best this time of year. Of course avoiding known stressors helps too: lack of sleep, poor diet, worrying, too much caffeine or alcohol, and the like…you know what your s are.

Taking care of yourself can help. Eating breakfast, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, savoring a cup of your favorite tea or cocoa, enjoying a nice soak in the tub…these are all simple ways to get through the winter. And even though you might not be able to go for a jog — or you just can’t seem to drag your butt to the gym — try a little gentle stretching before bed and do two minutes squats or lunges while you brush your teeth in the morning.

And guess what? Spring will be here before we know it…ah, just thinking about it inspires me.