How did you spend your summer vacation in August?

Although the heat still lingers and you can feel the afterglow of summer, September is also the month when the feeling of loneliness, like the expression "after the festival," comes after the excitement and cheers of people at midsummer events have died down, is indescribable.

In the United States, instead of May sickness, there are symptoms called "September blues" after summer vacation and "January blues" after winter vacation, and it seems that people often feel depressed when returning to their daily lives after spending time with family and friends.

In English, "blue" is a word that describes a depressed mental state.

By the way, the reason there is no concept of May sickness in America is because there is no system in Japan where new employees all join the company in April.

I've never seen a scene like this in a company entrance ceremony, even in foreign TV dramas or movies.

Lack of motivation, depressed mood... "September blues" can happen to anyone

Speaking of America, it was around this time last year that Ms. M came to see me for counseling, coming from far away.

M-san said that he had enjoyed a trip to America during his summer vacation.

"...Traveling is one of my hobbies, but I always feel negative when I come back from a trip... This time too, I felt depressed on the flight back, and I was dreading going back to work a few days later. I even thought about quitting my job. Lately, I've been feeling confused and wondering what my life is all about..."

A year ago, in a counseling room in September, with the summer heat still lingering, Mr. M spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully.

What feelings are included in that negative mood?

Mr. M answered the author's question.

"Well, there are a few things... but I think I'm feeling lonely..."

In NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), one of my fields of work, this process of breaking down a chunk into smaller pieces is called "chunking down."

For example, when you eat a cake and observe it with your eyes, taste, and smell, you can tell that it contains sugar, cream, eggs, strawberries, flour, butter, etc.

Chunking down is an effective way to analyze things, so it can also be very useful when analyzing your own emotions.

September blues is a depressing mood that can affect anyone.

At times like these, negative emotions that you hadn't noticed before suddenly appear out of nowhere.

A depressed mood brings small worries and doubts to the surface, which can easily lead to noticing things that were lurking beneath the surface, as in Ms. M's case.

"Izayoi" comes hesitantly the day after the full moon

Although September can be a depressing month, from the end of summer to the beginning of autumn, it is also a time when the moon looks beautiful.

The custom of viewing the full moon during this season is said to signify a break from the heat and the enjoyment of cool, long nights, and because the air is clear and the moon looks beautiful. However, in Buddhist countries in Southeast Asia, festivals and ceremonies of reflection are still held on the day of the full moon.

The full moon occurs 12 times a year, but moon viewing on the fifteenth night of the autumn month became popular during the Heian period and spread among the aristocracy.

It wasn't until the Edo period that common people began to widely enjoy the Full Moon Festival.
This is the season when rice grows and the harvest will soon begin. It is also a day to share the joy of a successful harvest and to give thanks.

The fifteenth night of the lunar month is celebrated on the following day, which is the sixteenth night.
In 2019, the day after the 15th night of the full moon, the 16th night, will be September 14th.

"Izayoi" is a noun derived from the verb "izayou," which means to hesitate, and means "to be indecisive and unable to make up one's mind."

Worries and doubts appear, like the hesitation of the moon the day after it is full, which is similar to the state M felt when she returned from her trip.

Also, while the 16th night is a uniquely Japanese way of looking at the calendar, the melancholy that arises from a sense of dissatisfaction after having had enough is similar to the American September blues.

During the second half of the counseling session, I asked Mr. M again.

What does M gain from traveling?

The answer to that was something like this:

"When I travel, I feel free. I wanted to change myself but didn't have the courage to do so, but when I go on a trip, my mood temporarily 'changes.'

I feel like I've been escaping reality for a long time, letting my desire to change myself subside..."

As a result of the counseling, Ms. M decided to leave her parents' home and start living on her own in order to change her current situation.

I've decided to use the money from my next overseas trip to fund my life on my own, so I'm putting overseas travel on hold for a while.

Ms. M was feeling depressed and thinking about changing jobs, but her challenges weren't traveling or changing jobs.

In this way, in counseling, discovering a different theme from what you were actually worried about can sometimes be the key to a solution.

However, a year has passed since M started living alone.
Now, he says, his desire to travel has mysteriously disappeared.

Recommendations for "tripping" to observe yourself

According to the Daijirin dictionary, in ancient Japan, "travel" generally referred to "leaving one's home."

The English word "travel" is said to have its origin in the word "trouble," which originated from Latin and French.

The reason seems to be that travel in the past was full of hardships.

Also, the word "trip" seems to be used to mean a short trip.

During the Heian period in Japan, aristocrats would board boats on the night of the full moon, drink sake, and admire the moon. Rather than gazing at the moon in the sky, they would admire the moon reflected on the surface of the water or in the sake in their cups.

Just as the nobles admired the moon reflected on the water, perhaps we feel compelled to embark on a small journey of self-reflection when we face challenges lurking beneath the surface.

September is a month when both the month and people hesitate.
Why not try having a cup of coffee outside in the evening?
In such cases, we recommend using a mug instead of a paper cup with a lid.
Take a little "trip" to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Moon while gazing at the moon's swaying and confused reflection in the coffee.