© J.N. Urbanski

After informal discussions amongst neighbors, I’ve gleaned that the cabin fever or winter blues hit a high this past winter. During a chance encounter with an acquaintance, I was asked: “how did you survive winter?”, to which I replied, “barely”. Although, most agreed that the weather wasn’t as bad as the year before. To be honest though, cabin fever aside, happiness seems to be quite rare these days. Last year, I was surprised when at a social group in NYC, as 20-plus ladies sat around in a circle, I asked how many of them were on anti-depressants and they all raised their hands. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a journalist or if people are being more honest lately, but in my experience, we’re opening up about anxiety. There’s a lot of be anxious about; the proposed revival of the coal industry is one of them. (Coal, really? Are we in Victorian England?) In my experience, the winter blues and bouts of cabin fever have been held at arm’s length by writing, reading, diet and lots of booze exercise (and the latest research, below, seems to indicate that what you eat affects your mental health). Even if you’re not a writer, a ToDO list or a journal can help enormously. As a writer, one has to get used to solitude, but spring is on the way, the buds are on the trees and after last night’s rain there might be mushrooms. There are definitely ramps in the valleys.

Here are some links on the latest news on health and exercise from some respected media outlets and some tips on writing:

On the benefits of solitude from The Atlantic and how to be alone from Brain Pickings.

More research into how gut bacteria can affect our minds as well as our bodies. A study suggests that eating probiotics like yoghurt relieves anxiety. The book Gulp by Mary Roach and foods to restore our gut bacteria from The Scientific American.

Interval training benefits the aging body. It’s never too late to start exercising. Links to some remarkable interval training DVDs from Jillian Michaels.

How perfectionism kills creativity from Anne Lamott.

Zadie Smith’s 10 Rules of Writing. “Resign yourself to the lifelong sadness that comes from never ­being satisfied.”

And for fun:

How one writer tried to stop complaining.

How one writer said yes to everything, including crossfit, and ended up in the hospital, from Vice.