Don't chase it away; hug it

I am facing that weird post-birthday slump that always seems to affect me. I don't know if it comes from a childhood depressive spell when I just struggled from the comedown after the high of a celebration, or whether it's just a natural process that everyone goes through annually, but I feel very low and lethargic and as if I have little to look forward to. That's not true, I know, but that's what the naughty little voice in my ear is telling me. And don't panic about my sanity and call the wagon - when I say 'voice in my ear' I'm not hearing voices, I am talking about that silly internal critic we all seem to have that delights in putting us down and making us feel useless. We all have one. I have taken to calling my 'Cornelius'. He is an overweight elf who wears a monocle, and I imagine myself shutting him in a big suitcase and stuffing him in a shed somewhere so I can't hear him or acknowledge his bullshit. But still, sometimes, he resurfaces and makes his thoughts my own, and I engage with them. But I'm hoping that writing about it here will take away its power and I can enjoy the rest of my day. Accepting a low mood is better than trying to fight it, and I know I'll feel better when I'm playing with Mathew tonight. So there you go - I have got something to look forward to - a Lego evening with my eldest son. :)

RC 23-1-25