The Winter Doldrums

Has anyone else been suffering from the winter doldrums? I definitely have, and I'm sick of it!

I've been feeling cranky, un-motivated, tired and really just blah. The worst part is that I truly have no reason for these feelings. Oh sure I could attribute it to many things. The cold weather, the fact that we've been cooped up, the nagging cold I've been fighting for two weeks, the letdown of the holidays ending, etc. But I feel like none of that is worthy enough for me to be feeling this way, so then I feel guilty on top of it because really, why have I been so cranky?

Finally I had enough and decided that it's not worth figuring out why I feel this way, I just do. Instead of wasting my energy looking for reasons I need to snap myself out of it. And I have been, slowly but surely.

My first step was to acknowledge that I have these feelings to others. I told Dan i'm cranky and I don't know why. I told some of my close friends how i'm feeling. Just saying it out loud seemed to lift a load from my shoulders. (Thank you to those who let me vent!)

Secondly, I've stepped up my healthy eating and water drinking habits. I feel better physically when I eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and when I drink more water. Feeling better physically leads to better emotional and mental health.

Then I cut myself a break. I've been feeling guilty about all the things I haven't been doing because my computer was broken. I haven't been blogging, I haven't been able to read and comment on other blogs, I've let some opportunity's slip away that I was really hoping to participate in. All of this was very disappointing, and making me feel overwhelmed and like I would never catch up. So, I decided not to bother. Everything that I haven't gotten to do is in the past. Now i'm going to move forward and do all the blogging related things I want to do, without rushing around to get to the things I've missed.

And lastly I upped my social interactions. I took the kids to a playdate on Friday, which was great for them but even better for me. I chatted with my mom friend whom I haven't spent any real time with in months. It was refreshing to catch up with her and to get out of the house for something other than school drop off or errands.

Then I had time out with my family. We went to lunch yesterday, just the four of us, and it was so nice to be together out of the house.

And this morning I went for a coffee date with three of my dearest friends. We've known each other for years, and always have a blast catching up with each other. We've decided to make our coffee/brunch ritual a once-a-month habit, and knowing that I have that to look forward to just makes me smile. There's nothing quite like talking with people who know you almost as well as you know yourself.

I know the winter can be tough, especially when you have young children that you're trying to keep occupied. I'm glad I was able to start pulling myself out of these doldrums, and even though I know there's still many weeks of winter i'm hoping I'll continue to feel better going forward.

How has this winter been for you so far? Feel free to share any tips you have for getting rid of bad moods that hang on for weeks!

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