Five Favorites: Quick Fixes for the Doldrums

(Public Service Announcement: by the doldrums, I don't mean clinical depression. If you've lost your appetite, feeling hopeless, constantly exhausted, wondering if life is even worth it, etc, then please see a doctor! There is absolutely zero shame in having to be on meds. I have to do it myself, even though I went kicking and screaming all the way. Would you be embarrassed to take insulin shots for Type 1 diabetes?)

1. Get Some Sun!

This is obvious, but when I'm feeling down, all I want to do is hide under the covers and make the world go away. Experience has shown that this method is ineffective unless I actually go to sleep, at night. During the day, get outside and get some fresh air! (And you people that live in the South and complain about the heat, remember how nice your fall and winters are. Remember the beautiful flowers that pop up around March. In March, I'm still bundling up in winter coats. Be thankful.)

2.Put on whatever clothes make you feel good

Some of y'all are full-face makeup kinda gals. I'm not, but a red dress does make me feel like a million bucks. There are all kinds of people out there - find what makes you feel beautiful.

3. Do something different

My husband describes the brain as a cornfield: you can walk down a path enough times to cut a real walkway, but if you stop going that way, it will grow back. In other words, you can create new pathways in the brain by doing new activities, but neglect will cause those pathways to atrophy. Building new paths can be invigorating! One of my favorite ways to do this is just to get lost in a new town or city (or even your own, if you don't know it like the back of your hand) and find your way home. Do keep your phone on you just in case though! 

4. Take a risk

This is like the one above, but it packs a bigger punch. Think of something that "you could never do" - not because it's immoral, but maybe because you're scared, or self-conscious. I am kicking myself that I never tried swing dancing in college because I was self-conscious. Kick it in the bud and just do it!

5. Know thyself

I see a lot of "mommy blogs" which encourage people to put some clothes on, leave the house, etc, and I just roll with laughter. For those of us that work (outside the home that is), these things are given. So for fellow employed-outside-the-home women out there: maybe a long bath would help more. Maybe going out with friends for beers (um, I mean tea) would be a welcome break from the office/ chores/ the office/ chores, rinse, repeat. Introverts, we need our alone time. Extroverts, you need your time with friends (and music! noise! action!). Do what works for you.