Dealing with the Blues

Today is a reminder in the Northeast US that winter will not be too far around the corner. Some areas in my locale received nearly 8 inches of snow today, and more is on the way overnight. When the weather changes in the northeast, so does the mindset of the people. Cold windy days and nights, snowy and icy days, and limited daylight quickly change the attitude and mindset of the people. The energy people once had over the Spring, Summer, and early Fall is quickly eroded as the first snowflake flies in the air. Today, I was reminded as a church planter of the energy that is needed to combat the onslaught of the "winter blues." As a planter you cannot change the blues from setting in, but you can prepare for how you can react to this yearly phenomenon. So, here's some advice. In dealing with these blues over many winter seasons in the Northeast, I learned to do several things:

1. Try to find ways to exercise your body and mind. Going to a gym and forcing yourself to get outdoors will give you more energy to cope with the "winter blues." Exercise also fuels the mind.

2. Don't over exert your own energy by trying to increase others. Many times I was guilty of burning "extra" energy just to try to keep people up and moving.

3. Maintain a healthy diet. More fat creates the tendency to be lazy. When you lay around in "the cabin" eating, you get "cabin fever."

4. Laugh, joke, and laugh some more (but don't joke about someone else's depression). I wished I had done more of that, this is a prescription for your sanity.

5. Guard yourself from those who want to pull you into their pool of misery and depression.

6. Create positive messages that inspire and create energy, not contribute to the draining that is already going on.

7. Get "out of dodge" towards the end of winter, and if you can't do it make sure your spouse gets some reprieve from fighting the "winter blues." When Spring hits, your people will quickly bounce back with energy. If you waste all of yours trying to keep them going over the winter you will not have any when Spring arrives. Been there done that!

8. Yield to the fact that the "winter blues" comes with the territory. You can't change it, but you can to deal with it. Learn to cope with this element within the culture.

There is probably more that I can share about dealing with this yearly challenge that church planters and pastors face in the Northeast, but at this moment this is all I have. So, if you have any ideas that you can pass along on how to deal with the "winter blues", drop a comment or two. And, if you're from the southern end of the ministerial spectrum, please don't laugh; we don't laugh at you when you get your share of blues (from tornadoes, hurricanes, droughts, and scorching 100 degree days). Instead pray for your brothers and sisters who deal with this yearly phenomenon in the NE US. I'll probably write more about this topic in a couple of months, but in the meantime, get yourself prepared to "deal with the blues."