Exercise
I can hear the groans already… you knew I was going to get to exercise, right?!
Like anything else, doing the right thing is always more effort than not dealing with it. However, the benefits of this one single tip are huge.
* Your body functions better
* You get natural endorphins (a high)
* You feel good about yourself when you do it
* You start to look better, which helps to…
* Raise your self-esteem
* Have more energy to do the other things you need to be doing to stay out of a funk.
It’s pretty hard to feel bad about yourself on a day when you work out! This may be the hardest thing to start, but everyone has to start somewhere. It was *so* hard to get back to the gym, but once I started going regularly, it became something I need in my day. My whole day is better when I get a good workout in. It relieves stress, gives me energy, and is a welcome break from the mental tasks of mothering and working (the sheer logistics that go into scheduling a day can sometimes be overwhelming in itself!).
It’s not easy to find the time to go to the gym. Exercise has to become a priority. Consider it valuable “me time” that is not negotiable. Some other things may have to be put on the back burner; there are only so many hours in a day, and only one of you. Look at your day and see if you can carve out a chunk of time for something that is really important. Is there something you do regularly that is not contributing positively to your mental health? Can your partner be enlisted to take over some task(s) that will free up some time for you? You need this and deserve this, and your partner wants you to be happy and healthy. And, they will benefit from all that exercise as well!
If you start now, by the time summer rolls around, you’ll be out of the funk AND looking hot!
