Tackling Seasonal Depression as Riders

Ron Francis 0:00

Today's episode is dedicated to my friend , Sandra . I'll tell you why later . Isn't riding a motorcycle amazing ? We love it . On this podcast , we talk a lot about the joy we feel when we go out for a ride , getting out on the road , either riding with your friends or riding alone , either riding the back roads or down the highway . It's awesome , it's freedom , it makes us happy . And then comes winter . Oh , no , not again . Here in Colorado , winter means snow . Yes , it's beautiful , but there are days I will not be able to ride . No freedom from the road , no escape seems like that's not good and for some it's very bad .

Ron Francis 1:00

Seasonal depression is real and , as I learned from a friend , it impacts motorcycle riders more than others . I didn't really realize that . Maybe we should talk through this because there is hope . You know , mother Nature has a pretty good track record of following the blaws of winter with the joys of spring . Let's talk about that , stay tuned . Recorded in beautiful Loveland , colorado . Welcome to Peace . Love Moto . Let's talk about that , stay tuned .

Ron Francis 1:55

Have you ever felt the winter blues , the weight of the shorter days , the colder weather , the general sluggishness that can come from these winter months ? Well , you're not alone . Seasonal depression , also known as seasonal affective disorder , which ironically abbreviates to SAD . Well , it's real and it's a serious condition that affects many people . So today let's just talk about what it is and how it impacts us as motorcycle riders . It's more than just the wintertime blues . It's a type of depression , actually , that follows a seasonal pattern . It can be triggered by the lack of sunlight or changes in routine . The symptoms can include anything from fatigue , changes in sleep patterns , difficulty concentrating , even a loss of interest in activities that you'd normally love . If that sounds familiar , well , you're not alone and there's ways to manage it . So what can we do about it if we can't get out on the road and get to our happy place on our motorcycle ? Well , it's certainly easy to say you can go out on Instagram or YouTube or anything else and scroll around for thousands of really good motorcycle videos . There are good ones out there .

Ron Francis 3:14

I find myself transfixed sometimes , but there's other alternatives . For one thing , we can still go outside , whether you're in the city or in the country . Just go outside . It's cold , but that's what a coat is for . Right here in Colorado , we learned to dress for the cold and you know , frankly , you put on a good coat , warm hat , some gloves and life's pretty good out there . Be in nature , even if the trees are bare and the air is just crisp . Being outside , even in the colder temperatures , can really be helpful for the wintertime blues . Fresh air and the changing scenery and the simple act of moving your body around , you know it just affects your mood . It really really does .

Ron Francis 4:07

I got really good advice from my eye doctor some years ago . She's wonderful . Not only does she take care of my eyes , but she takes care of me as a person in some ways too . Knowing that I had a tough work schedule and dealing with a lot of stress , she asked me if I walked enough and I said , yeah , I go to the gym and I spend a lot of time on the treadmill whenever I can , and she said well , that's good for your heart , but it's not so good for your mind . She went on to explain that walking outside is so much better overall . She said we not only need the fresh air from outside , but it's helpful to watch the world pass by as you walk . In other words , moving through space is so much better than walking in place , especially walking indoors . Walking outside on those cold , icy months may be very , very helpful to fight those wintertime blues when we can't be on the motorcycle .

Ron Francis 5:06

And also , winter is a great time to reconnect with your buddies . Oftentimes I just enjoy going for rides alone . I just do . That's just kind of my nature and I ride with my friends from time to time . But now's a good time to go and meet at the coffee shop . You know , a motorcycle is not just about a ride , it's about people . It's about strangers that we meet and connecting with people who become lifelong friends . And it's wonderful Connecting in real conversations with a group of fellow riders . You've obviously got something really in common to talk about . Right , even if it's just online or , you know , just meeting at the coffee shop , you can provide support and motivation for somebody else for these wintertime blues and they in turn will help you too . I've experienced that here .

Ron Francis 5:56

In winter . It's a good time to be grateful , to be reminded of just how fortunate we are to have the money to own a bike and the mental and physical capabilities to ride it . That's a gift . I've mentioned it on other episodes , that I feel so grateful for my motorcycle that in the wintertime especially , I'll walk out into the garage , I'll just stand beside it or sit on it and I'll literally say out loud thank you and I'll give the bike a pat on the tank . Is that crazy ? Yes , it's crazy , but it's a machine that's made me so happy . It's carried me to places and through experiences that have changed my life , so I don't mind saying thank you , and patting it on the tank Makes me feel good , and feeling good especially in winter . Well , that's just what we need . I probably should have mentioned this in the beginning , but I want to stress that , while motorcycling is a powerful tool for getting through rough times , it's not a substitute for professional help at all .

Ron Francis 7:19

In a previous episode where I interviewed the mindful motorcycle of Ben Rubin , Ben , in our conversation , said something really profound . It really stuck with me when I told Ben that riding makes me happy and I go out and it changes my mood and I need to change . Sometimes he reminded me that I won't always be able to ride . It's not something that lasts forever . Always be able to ride , it's not something that lasts forever . Someday , he reminded me , a physical or mental condition may keep me from riding and I can't let that fact drive me into a hole that I can't climb out of . He was right and that's a lesson for all of us . And that's a lesson for all of us as much as we love riding , it won't last forever . So let's remember that we'll always have our memories of great rides and the people we've met along the road and the things we saw . No one can take that from us .

Ron Francis 8:19

In another interview some months ago with Rob Hamilton from Moto Fields he's the one who does the moto camping videos , which are fabulous Rob's out of Australia Rob stressed to me that there's a saying that he doesn't agree with . The saying goes you won't see a motorcycle in front of a therapist office . And Rob said that's not true and it's even destructive to think that way . Yes , I love motorcycling dearly , but it is not a solution for everybody's concerns . So if you're struggling , don't hesitate to reach out to your doctor , a therapist or mental health professional . There is no shame in seeking help . Take care of your mental health as you take care of your physical health , because you want to keep riding right and it's worth the investment and professional help to straighten everything out . Then we'll get back on our bikes with a really , really big smile . So if you find yourself struggling today , just know you're not alone . Seasonal depression is tough , especially for us motorcycle riders , but there are ways to cope .

Ron Francis 9:37

I think it's safe to say that , given the fact that you're listening to a podcast called Peace , love Moto , which is kind of a narrow audience , maybe I'm just really happy to say that the that audience is growing around the world from what I've seen . So just know you're . You have a community around you that thinks a lot like you do and that's here to support you as well . If writing helps , get out and do that when you can , but if you need to reach out and talk , do that too . One of the many things I've loved about hosting this podcast last couple of years is connecting with many listeners . I love that . Not only have I've gotten lots of emails and collaborated back and forth through that it's ron at peacelovemotocom but we've even connected a few times over Zoom and even in person . I love that . I just love that . It really makes me feel good . So finally this I mentioned at the very beginning of the episode that this is dedicated to my friend , sandra .

Ron Francis 10:40

Sandra works at Urban Traditions Barbershop here in Loveland , colorado . She cuts my hair and , frankly , I get the world's best haircut . I'll just say that A little promo there for Sandra . Anyway , being a motorcycle rider herself , while cutting my hair recently , she asked me what my next podcast episode was going to be about and I told her I was really having difficulty because in the wintertime I'm not able to ride . Usually I'll go out for a motorcycle ride and then I'll have these aha moments about what I want to talk about next on the podcast . Well , I haven't been able to ride lately because of business travel and then snow and ice on the ground . Lately I've been stuck inside and , honestly , I've had rider's block lately . So I told Sandra about that .

Riders and Seasonal Depression

Ron Francis 11:26

And that's when she said seasonal depression hits motorcycle riders especially hard . Did you know that ? And I said no , I really didn't . She said , well , maybe you should talk about that . So I did . Thank you , sandra . I really appreciate that . You're awesome and you give the world's best haircut . So hang in there , my friends . Spring is coming . Mother Nature won't let us down . She never has Get ready for a fantastic riding season ahead . So thank you so much for tuning in to the Peace , love , moto podcast . If you enjoyed this episode or others and maybe found it helpful , thanks for sharing it with your fellow writers , who might need to hear an encouraging word Stay safe , stay warm . And hey , the Beatles were right all along . Hey , darling , I feel that ice is slowly melting all along .