Down Days

Maybe it's the back-to-school illness or maybe it's the change in seasons bringing on a slight case of seasonal affective disorder. It could be the unsettled nature of my employment situation or could be the challenges some of my family and friends are facing. Possibly the strain of geo-political tensions, the slowly shrinking savings account, or the realization that my circle of friends is more line than circle.Perhaps it's just a math equation that includes all of the variables to a different degree.I'm suffering from some fairly "down days." Photo by ALMA on Unsplash My first recollection of "down days" was during my teens. I would progressively withdraw from the world around me, do less and less of what I'd normally get up to, and get stuck in my thoughts.And complicating matters further is that I opening up about them to those I cared about and who cared about me was unheard of. I simply kept it all inside, thinking they were my problems and mine alone to overcome.Sometimes I'd…