The series on Beating the Winter Blahs continues….
Laugh
Laugh? But I’m depressed! Yeah, I know. So force it.
In the depths of a funk, I notice that I rarely smile, letalone laugh. My kids can be bouncing around me, laughing and playing and having a great time. I barely manage a grunt in response to an excited “Isn’t that funny Mama?”.
Get out of your head and back into the moment. By living in the moment I can find joy in the simplest things. This sounds like a cliche, but it is true. If you have children, they provide endless opportunities to laugh and enjoy life.
There is another benefit of this. As mothers, we set the tone and the energy in our homes. If we are depressed and feeling down, it affects our entire family. If we are upbeat and having fun with our kids, then everyone is happier.
This is going to be hard at first. I mean it when I say you might have to force it. But every time you do, you may just find that the positive feedback you get in return helps start a whole positive cycle flowing around you. Try it today and see what happens! Tomorrow, it might even be easier.