This has been happening to me a lot lately. Having fun throughout the day and enjoying my time. Then, I just drop in terms of mood. Not angry or upset, but a sudden strike of emotional blah. Like I lose the urge to do anything and I don’t know what caused it or how to get out of it.
Not looking for sympathy because it happens. It probably happens to all of us at some point, but we never know the reason. The only time I can pinpoint it is when I’m at the supermarket. It may sound strange, but here’s the reason:
As a child, I loved going food shopping with my mom. One reason was that a free cookie would be involved. The other is that I felt like I was helping and having fun. My mom would give me part of the list or tell me a few items to find. Then, I would race off to find them and then have to track the cart to drop them off. I loved puzzles and games, so this was a giant scavenger hunt for me. Keep in mind that this is before the time we thought everybody was a potential kidnapper and child molester. So, I was able to run around free to get stuff. I got a sense of pricing and sales when I did this.
These days, I wander the aisles alone. I can’t send my son out to find things because he’s too small and the world doesn’t feel as safe as it once was. It’s like something is missing and I go into a state of hum-drum. I don’t rush to get out, but I wander the aisles like a lost ghost.
Today, I was simply struck down by a melancholy. It will be gone by the morning if not earlier. I still have some writing to do, but it’s going slow this week. It’s like my mind is clogged or slowed by something. I still have a slight chance of getting everything done this week. Thought getting this off my chest would help. Does anyone else get moods like these?
Legends of Windemere 
You are not alone. At the start of the month, I was a lot like you. I’d wake up, get kids out the door, take care of my dogs, get to writing type stuff, workout, sit down and have lunch while studying some Japanese. Then, when it came time to put all that made lunch away, it would hit me. Some days it was particularly bad and I wanted to sob for no reason. I posted about these feelings on my personal social media and found out this was also happening to a friend of mine. We are not alone.
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The urge to sob is when I jack up my iPod while shopping or scramble for a distraction. I hate that.
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Thanks for letting me know it isn’t just me.
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Sudden melancholy and don’t eat at all here LOL………… ya just can’t win! 😉
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Nope. I think this is why I’m always buying a bag of candy or some ice cream.
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Yes. I’ve felt that this week. I hope the melancholia is of short duration for you.
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I should be better tomorrow.
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I’ve felt the same way too, and I can’t even figure out what it is. Bad weather? I know I’ve been fatigued lately because of the blasted barometric pressure.
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We do have a big storm attacking us.
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When a feeling of being lost or unable to move forward strikes my husband or me it is usually the sign that we are unconsciously working out inner issues. Sometimes it is a matter of out growing old habits and patterns, things are shifting and changing inside but it takes awhile, IT FEELS like I an operation is going on. Can’t function until the process is finsished. In children it manifest itself during the terrile two’s( transition from baby to young child) and the teen years- moving from childhood int adulthood
ignore my babble if it does not make sense
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It does make sense. I’m going through the terrible two’s again . . . wait, I got that wrong. It does make some sense. I’ve been thinking about so many things these last few days that I probably need to process it.
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🙂 our unconcious is smart, too smart
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I hope so. The conscious isn’t too bright half the time.
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I am laughing out loud, truly roaring -thanks
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Me too! Sudden melancholy struck me on Saturday and again on Sunday. Not sure why. National Moodiness Week, maybe?
Hope you are feeling more like your usual chipper self really soon!
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Me too. Maybe it’s the beginning of summer.
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Could be. But for me, summer started May 1st.
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The ‘natural’ start of summer is supposed to be soon. Not sure when though.
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I think it is Thursday…maybe Friday.
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You are so not alone! For me, it happens sometimes after I have had a good writing run: the characters are doing what needs to be done, the plot is moving, the action (or lack of) fits, and then Wham! I feel horrible. It’s like hitting a wall.
And as if that isn’t bad enough, when the stressors of life hit and I can’t attend to my writing as I would like (I am not a full-timer), Wham!
It is a terrible feeling that comes and goes…
Hope it passes quickly for you!
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Didn’t consider it’s my writing. I’ve been working on the same section for 2 days, which is a rarity for me. I’d usually be 2-3 chapter sections into my week by now.
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It may be something you will want to try and monitor to determine if there is a writing connection.
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Im bipolar, so I am up and down all the time even with meds. A difficult disorder. I hate shopping. Decisions. Too many items, I get overwhelmed. My husband does most of it, bless him. If you think it is depression, there is a link between inflammation and depression from recent studies.
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It could be depression, but it comes and goes rather quickly. There is a lot of clinical depression in my family, so it wouldn’t surprise me.
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I have rapid cycling bipolar. Throughout the day, ( not every day now thank goodness) depression comes on very fast, then sometimes hypomania. I have definite triggers.
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That was last week, for me. It’s a sporadic thing and doesn’t last long, thankfully. For me, I think it had to do with writing but also the shift in schedules – the child is off of school and we’re readjusting to one another. Luckily, despite adolescence, it’s not going too badly. Hang in there – hope you feel better soon!
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Didn’t think of a schedule shift. I’m wondering if it’s the weather too. It’s really hot especially in the house.
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I get that way all the time. But then, sudden bouts of groundless anxiety / depression runs in my family.
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They’re in mine too. So, I’m surprised I don’t get it more often.
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Passionflower tea helps me. I just boil the herb and drink it straight. It calms me down and lets me relax.
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I try angry music or writing.
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“A good cry washes all of life’s doldrums away.” – by Ellespeth 😛 It’s been an exciting month or so for you, Charles. So much has been happening. Perhaps things are slowing down and your mind hasn’t settled down yet. I hope this passes but…while in the midst of it a poem please?
Ellespeth
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I’m actually trying to shy away from writing a poem while in this state. In the past, it’s led to dark, disturbing poems that people mistake for having to call for a suicide watch. A good cry might work though.
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I ‘ve been feeling melancholic lately. Don’t know why.
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Maybe something in the air.
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Some days it just hits for no reason and that’s when it’s frustrating. Mine is usually due to not getting the things done that I want to and then I get stressed and then I get down and so on and so on… Hope you feel better soon – and I have to be honest, I hate grocery shopping, so that does it for me every time!
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I think I just hate doing it alone because it used to be a family thing. This state might be caused by the bad weather and just a general feeling of being lost. Not sure why.
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I[m guessing this is the last thing you want to hear and you’ll say it’s impossible but I would suggest that you need a break – not necessarily disappearing over the horizon for a while, but just a break from your normal routines, from your writing etc. You may have had a real adrenalin buzz getting your book out and all the intense marketing that you’ve done/do – it sounds as tho’ this is the downer. I’ve always found it helps to drop everything you possibly can and get out and do something different. But you’re definitely not alone.
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Unfortunately, this isn’t the week for me to do that. I have very little time at least for today and I need to get my 5th book written before August because that’s when my free time will be over.
I keep thinking it’s the weather or I’m still exhausted from the long drive. Haven’t been sleeping well, so it’s a horrible cycle.
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I def. get into those moods. I think us creative types are especially prone to it.
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Very much so. Open emotional wounds.
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You certainly are not alone. I have this happen to me quite often and it is self-imposed in my case. I have always had a habit of over-analyzing things and when I do that I put unneeded stress in my life which sours my mood. I have to sit back and convince myself that whatever I am obsessing about is no big deal and will work out in the end. I did this to myself yesterday and it put me in a rather foul mood which I didn’t snap out of until late last night.
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Over-analyzing could definitely be a reason. Never thought of that, which is kind of ironic.
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I’m sure I’m not the only one that does this, but I find that there are times when I can’t even send off a quick email without reading and rereading it a 100 times just to make sure that it is perfect in my mind. It drives me crazy sometimes. My kids even tell me that I am not capable of giving a yes or no answer to anything, instead I give speeches as a response. Maybe that is something else like OCD, I don’t know.
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With e-mails and blogs, I’m not that OCD. I do them off the cuff. I think I over-analyze events and people too often. A day of no sales drives me bonkers because I keep thinking I did something wrong. Getting better on that though. It can never be a simple ‘it happened’.
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Very strange you say this mate. People everywhere I know are having the exact same thing. People are getting ill more, mood swings are 100% on the up. As I am in my little bubble and been on medication, almost the same for 15 years, I notice these things. Remember this blog?
http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/why-are-we-all-ill/
I asked a simple question. And got a not bad response considering it is a topic people don’t want to talk about. But I think we all need to look at this (Not especially my Blog) but why are we all changing, mood swings is just the start.
I don’t have to remind you of GMO Crops and what we all are eating world wide, Posion.
Debate MUST happen to ask why ALL in this video is TRUE!!
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Good point, but I’m pretty sure my mood swing is more the weather dropping from gorgeous to abysmal. I’ve always been emotionally weather attuned. Personal stress might be doing it too.
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I think with your line of work, your mind is always on the go ( I would imagine) Could be a stress thing. I know when I did Football, although I made the hard decisions, the pressure to make them brought REAL stress. One time I had a player worth £10,000 (He was 17 years old) and that is a lot for a kid. And I had to stop playing him as his attitude was REALLY POOR…I asked his Dad to not tell him big clubs with real money wanted to buy him, his Dad told him, he got cocky and ahead of himself. I then got pressured by the club board of directors to play him for the £10,000 but I refused till his attitude changed. I told him “If the club willing to pay £10K for you finds out about your attitude the will walk away, as attitude is as important than ability”
The kid now works stacking shelves in an Asda/Walmart in town. Went to his head and his Dad was like “My son is worth £10K” in the end I almost lost my job…
Stress is a killer 🙂
Sorry, just had to share that.. lol
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Charles,
All squirrels and cupcakes aside, I really hope that you start feeling better soon. You are a light in this wordpress universe that makes everyone feel good about coming here and being part of things. I can’t imagine being here without your humour and friendship. Feel better:)
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Thanks. I’m going to try to get through this. Probably just need some time, but next week starts the chaos. The toddler has most of next week off, family visits the following week, and a bunch of birthdays in July. This is not including if Prodigy of Rainbow Tower debuts next month. I think I’m tired just thinking about it. Dang it, I want my literary empire now!
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I understand. If there is anything I can do to annoyingly distract you let me know. Squirrel.
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I’ll be hiding on WordPress as much as I can.
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I will hide you. I have harry’s invisibility cloak.
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That will go great with my Hades Helmet of Invisibility. 😉 I go old school with my magic toys.
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old school is better.
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Definitely.
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It’s taken me nearly all week to recover from our weekend road trip. The weather has a big influence on me too. I’ve touched on this subject but Google Seasonal Affective Disorder. Might leave you felling better/worse.
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I’ve been wondering if it’s the road trip. I really feel like I’m moving through molasses both mentally and physically.
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