What to Do with the Doldrums
Growing up, I loved Christmas (maybe you can relate). I looked forward to it with Advent candles, counted down to it on my calendar, and spent hours brainstorming and hand-making presents for every single member of my family. Christmas is a break from the ordinary. It gives us a reason to rest (from the usual) and to celebrate -- a season worth anticipating.
But every year that Christmas comes, it ebbs away again. You find yourself back in the day-to-day. The routine. The work. The cold, at this time of year. What had been The busy, bustling, much-anticipated holiday season dwindles as life picks back up and school starts again.
It’s empty.
It’s quiet.
I’ve heard it called the ‘doldrums’ of the school year.
I will be honest with you; I don’t like doldrums. As an introvert, I don’t mind quiet, but by January, I can start to feel an emptiness seeping into my soul. Do you feel it too? You thought you wanted more blank space (or, less holiday craziness) in your life until, all of a sudden, you get a flood of nothing but the usual, and you find yourself dreading the silent stretch of winter before you.
Doldrums, according to Google, are: “a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression.” As I’ve wondered about this season of doldrums, two questions have come to mind.
Question 1: Why is it that our human hearts are so quick to link ‘inactivity’ to ‘stagnation’ and even ‘depression’?
Why don’t we like stillness? Why do we get uncomfortable at the thought of nothing but routine marching straight before us for the next month?
In thinking about this, God has pointed out a few roots of my own doldrum dread. Maybe these will resonate with you, too.
I’m afraid of what might be exposed in the quiet. Will I see ways I have missed the mark? Will I hear answers from God that weren’t the ones I wanted?
I’m afraid the season of inactivity is somehow my fault because of my own lack of productivity. What if I am missing something or dropping a ball? What if I just keep checking the same things off the list? Who am I if I cannot measure my worth by what I’m getting done?
I’m afraid that holding still means I’m held back (when I want to be moving forward). What if I’m missing on the excitement somewhere else -- there was plenty a month ago after all? Does God realize where He last left me?
God answers these questions with His quiet rebuttal. From page one of Scripture (Genesis), a void does not mean He is absent. In fact, He speaks into voids and creates life. He is not afraid to reveal our inadequacies to us because He will fill it with Himself. The Scriptures we’ve looked at this past semester have shown us God’s character in that regard -- He chooses the least of people to be His (Deuteronomy), He walks with us through our valleys of shadow and makes our cups overflow (Psalm 23), and He makes barren wombs leap with joy (the Christmas story). “Do not fear.”
Question 2: If we don’t dread the doldrums, how do we approach them?
First, a theological answer: Let the quiet be a gift. See the doubts the doldrums expose and receive the mercy in Christ. Recognize that a dreary routine can be redeemed into a gentle rhythm. January is the Sabbath of the year. Start your year the way we start the week -- resting in the grace of what God has done and remembering that He is good.
Also, a practical answer: I am not a homeschooling parent, but as a homeschooled alum who watched her mom wrestle through the doldrums each year, here are some thoughts you can implement hands-on.
Lean into the regularity -- you can finally keep something of a normal schedule with December over!
Tackle indoor house projects, considering you can’t be outside as much.
Make room for snow days (or snow half-days).
Plan something fun of your own to shake up the monotony like a quick family trip. For example, Colonial Williamsburg offers Homeschool Days in February.
Incorporate a simple craft project like paper snowflakes into a Friday’s school load.
Find opportunities to plug into community beyond your usual sphere. For example, homeschool groups often offer winter encouragement events.
Think of something your family enjoys doing and make a mini adventure out of it!
Yes, winter is quiet and cold, but that stillness is not something to dread. May the January doldrums prove to be a gift that strengthens your heart and your family with the echoes of God’s faithfulness -- a whisper you have room to hear.