The Summer Doldrums
Every year, just before fall, it seems as though I fall into the summer doldrums. I just don’t want to do…anything. Unless you count wanting to run off on a vacation somewhere beach-y where I then sit and do nothing while listening to the ocean.
Unfortunately, I can’t go on a vacation right this very moment, and so my pocketbook suffers, because doing nothing seems to involve an awful lot of eating out on my part. (I also don’t want to cook, or for that matter go to the grocery store to buy meals that could go in the microwave. So I spend.)
Does this kind of thing happen to any of you? What do you do to beat the doldrums, and to keep entertained and motivated without spending a fortune?
On a related note, apparently the summer doldrums happen to the stock market as well. They’re basically the effects of people who would normally be out buying and selling up a storm in the stock market as a part of their job hanging out and relaxing instead.
This is supposed to result in reduced volatility in the stock market, because when fewer people are buying and selling, the market doesn’t do much. I’m guessing though that either the summer doldrums aren’t happening this year or high volatility is becoming the new norm for the market.
All I want to do is sleep. Sadly, this is the time of the year we really need to crank out grant proposals at work, because most boards meet and make decisions in October. Le sigh.
I don’t really know what I do to get through it. I buy a lot of uber simple food, much of it mostly pre-made or mostly pre-made from Trader Joe’s. Not the best thing but right now, I just can’t muster the energy to care. But sleep. Oh lordy, what I wouldn’t do for more sleep!
Oh, sleep is always pretty high on my list too!
I call this the blahs and I get them every few months for a week or two. Usually it seems to happen when I feel overwhelmed and want to shut down. I was in a major blah over the weekend but am starting to feel a little better today. I find that forcing myself to do one or two things starts an avalanche and I generally catch up pretty quickly. A day off of my real job helps a bit too…thankfully Labor Day is next week…
Huh, for me they seem to happen more when I’ve finished up a big project or two. Maybe it’s the having time to think that does it?
Like you, I LOVE to go out to eat, and I definitely do it often, I’d say both weekend nights, and always for lunch on Sunday…
I guess I am in that mode right now as well. I have a list of tons of stuff to do, but I really just DON’T feel like doing anything!! How do I beat it… I like to watch some motivational story of somebody getting way ahead in life. That usually helps:)
Oh, good point, watching or reading about something motivational is inspiring. (And of course part of being inspired is actually getting out and working on something.)
I experience this too. I usually just go into my slump and try to get through it. I usually pick back up around Halloween!
This year, I’m running behind though, I still have a lot of projects that I didn’t get to during the summer because of 1.) The heat, 2.) too busy socializing with family and friends, 3.) playing with my kids, and 4.) Blogging :)
Hey at least you’ve been having a good time while not doing your projects :)