Surviving Summer

I'm in self-imposed lockdown this week because most of New Jersey is in a disgusting heat wave.

Also, my anxiety level is creeping toward the red zone because most of New Jersey is in a disgusting heat wave.

Did I mention the disgusting heat wave?

Thanks to black paper shades (just over $6 at Home Depot!) and dark curtains on most of my windows, it's nice and dark and cool inside my house and I'm protected from the intensity of the sun which is essential for me all the time, but particularly in the summer when the sun is trying to kill me.

There are other things you can also do to cope while hiding inside away from Evil Sun and its cohorts, Humidity and Dew Point...

For one, humor. Humor is essential to ward off all kinds of woes. In fact I would go so far as to say that it has saved my life on many occasions. So while you are hibernating from summer, you could look at fun/ny things on the internet or watch funny television  or read books that makes you laugh (the library is free and cool!) or draw nonsense pictures that crack you up (see above & below) even if they might not make a single other person snicker. 

For two, get creative - and that can mean many, many things depending on your energy level (or lack thereof) and motivation (or lack thereof). I am an extremely creative person and it's how I make my living but I become almost catatonic in the summertime and my creativity grinds to a halt as I pass through my days counting down the days to fall. So even if I am not actually able to summon the will to actually create, I will spend a lot of time thinking about future projects and looking for new ideas on the internet. Creativity by proxy? The point is to keep your brain engaged. Which reminds me: weather takes a toll on our brains so add things like losing hours to online games such as solitaire or word games and puzzles.

Other findings suggest that winter helps to wake up our mind and makes us think more clearly. It is well known that the brain utilizes glucose as its main energy source. Thus, when glucose is depleted, brain functioning is jeopardized. Energy, i.e., glucose, is also used for the regulation of body temperature, especially in extremely hot or cold conditions. It seems that more energy (glucose) is needed to cool down than to warm up the body. Thus, warm temperatures are more likely to deplete glucose levels and thus impair brain function and clarity of thinking.
It has been suggested that high temperatures increase the risk of mental disorders, especially in the elderly. 

-Brain Blogger

Last night we took Luna for a car ride when the sun set, a little bit past 9pm. Luna needs car rides. 

This little dog lives for car rides and she is very, very spoiled so we indulge her whims above and beyond our own. To our surprise it was beautiful outside, with a life-giving breeze. We drove with the windows down and let it soothe us. All we did was go to the gas station and back but then we sat outside for a little bit when we returned, listening to the night birds and watching the stars. So for three, take night time car rides, and for four, sit outside under the stars just after sun set or later. There is great reward in paying attention to the sky*. I fervently believe that if more people did it, the world would be a much different place. 

You'll understand what I mean by that after you've done it a few times.

Finally, for five, go easy on yourself. So what if you're sleeping the days away while the rest of the world is at the beach or you're eating too much while everyone else says it's too hot too eat or you don't feel like doing any of the summer activities that other people clamor to do? I live at the NJ shore just a few miles from various very crowded beaches and boardwalks and the only time (in summer) I'm at the beach is very early in the morning or late in the evening. I am impervious to peer pressure and/or what the masses are doing (or saying or thinking or hitching their wagon to, etc) so I'm perfectly content doing whatever works for me. I stay home on sunny days and emerge on cloudy/rainy ones and I definitely avoid anything crowded no matter the weather - the exact opposite of what summer is "supposed" to be like according to "them".

Stick to your own terms and you can't go wrong. 

Good advice anytime but particularly during this loud and in-your-face time of year.

*Also effective in daytime, i.e. cloud watching.