Francesca Rudkin: It’s easy to find ourselves looking inwards and having a whine

I don’t know about you, but I find this time of year a bit tiring. We get up in the dark, many of us come home in the dark, and it’s a bit chilly and wet. It’s easy to find ourselves looking inwards, and having a whine.   Which is why National leader Chris Luxon’s comment that NZ was a “wet, whiny, inward-looking country” during the week was so notable. Obviously, no matter the context it’s not the best soundbite to come out of the mouth of the person who wants us to elect him to run the country. But equally, it may be the most honest thing we heard come out of the mouth of a politician this week.   And we’re likely to hear more campaigning along these lines. This is Luxon’s go-to. He reminds us how dire the country’s situation is, and how the National Party is the only way to get our mojo back.   Depending on your experience over the last couple of years, life may feel a bit tiring at present. Regardless of who the comment was aimed at, and Luxon claims it was aimed at the current Government, it hit a nerve. A friend of mine said, half-jokingly, in response to the comment. “I feel like I’ve been seen. I really need to try harder.” I don’t think she was the only one who checked their whinging this week.   None of us want to be whiney or inward-looking but it’s always been part of our small island nation’s mentality, and it’s a characteristic which pops up during difficult times. I think we all need to give ourselves a break, because the last three years have tested people beyond belief.   So, maybe a change of Government is the answer, but in the short term ‘here and now’ what we need is a guilty pleasure. I know. It won’t fix any of the pressing problems the country is facing, but it may cheer us up.   My guilty pleasure hit TV a week ago, and if the 463,000 streams on TVNZ+ over the week are anything to go by I’m not the only one indulging in UK Love Island. I know. Have a snigger and feel free to judge me – that’s why it’s called a guilty pleasure. But guilty pleasures - which I’m defining as ‘I’m going to do whatever the heck I like for 45 minutes and not feel guilty about it’ - bring positive emotions, reduce stress and improve your mental health and wellbeing.   So why not?   The other benefit that comes from watching Love Island UK is that even though the sun shines all the time, this group of 20 sexy somethings locked up in a villa for 8 weeks looking for love, is utterly inward-looking and filled with ‘A class’ whiners.   It’s not just us.   And on another positive note – see I’m already less whiny- we all get a little motivational boost on Thursday when the winter solstice takes place. There’s no better feel-good moment in winter than hitting the shortest-day of the year   Winter solstice may mean different things for different people, but for me it’s pretty simple. It signifies we’re kind of half way through the year, and from now on there will only be more daylight hours. The countdown to summer is on.   I can feel my mojo returning.   LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.