“I’m just so angry all the time” he told me as he slumped down into his usual seat on the couch with a weary sigh. “My wife is on me all the time…she says I need to get my anger in check or we’re done.”

During the holiday season, it’s not uncommon for a spirit of altruism to permeate our daily lives. Kindness and generosity abound. And yet, once the holidays are over, this spirit seems to fade quickly and we are faced with a stretch of dull and dreary winter days. In Minnesota, in particular, winter often lasts well into March, if not April. This long season of snow and cold can bring with it increased feelings of sadness, loneliness, and lack of motivation, often described as the “winter blues.”

For the last two weeks I have heard one question more than any other. Whether clients, friends, or family members, over and over again I have heard asked some version of the same question: “why am I so tired?”