I am not sure about you, but I get a major case of the sads during the winter. Just last Sunday, I was watching Akeelah and the Bee and found myself bawling—deep belly tears. And I couldn’t stop myself.

I didn’t understand why I was crying, but luckily I’ve learned that part of my journey as a brown girl trying to make sense of this world is that I don’t always have to have the answers; I’ve also learned that asking questions isn’t always helpful.

Sometimes all my spirit needs from my intellect is space and acceptance.

Well, in the middle of the last snowstorm, where I was locked in my house for two days on my second bout of uncontrollable crying, I heard a small voice say, “Chick, you can’t make it. You need something. You are fading.”

Right there, I went to Living Social and searched for an escape. After a few minutes, I found one.

I pulled out my credit card and booked a trip to Bermuda. Four days, three nights, airfare, and hotel. It cost $549 with taxes included.

Though I was privy to this strategy for close to nine years, 2015 was the first year my seasonal depression got so bad that I needed to get away. During one of our many sessions, my mentor and counselor Mrs. P. told me that she kept a carry-on packed for weekends when she needed to get the hell out of the City. Her particular destination wasn’t Bermuda, but it was Puerto Rico for the weekend.

Booking a flight to Bermuda for me was far from an impulse. My spirit was responding to the emotional emergency that was occurring in my soul.

As a personal finance coach, I encourage my black girl clients to stash away money for emergencies like these, so they can swiftly respond to what Mama Oprah likes to call the whispers in their lives, without going into debt and feeling guilty.

If you know yourself well enough to know that you may need a getaway to help ward off seasonal blues, begin with as little as twenty dollars a week. You won’t regret it.

Frugal Feministas: Can you relate? If you get seasonal depression, what do you do to handle it?

[info_box type=”alert_box”]Caring for yourself including takes care of your finances.  I encourage all ladies who are serious about self-care to go on The Happy Finances Challenge. In 42 days you can learn to make money decisions that will lead to long-term financial happiness. [/info_box]