This is a guest post from a new friend I met in the blogosphere, Jenny Herman, aka Many Hats Mommy. Her husband and I connected on LinkedIn and were exchanging messages about PR and social media, and he suggested that I would be a good fit for Jenny’s Wednesday’s Woman feature. Jenny featured me on her blog in a two-part series about best practice tips for blogger outreach. Check out part two here.
Jenny’s post originates from her February article for Today’s Essential Woman, but it’s a perfect fit for my blog. Enjoy!
Nothing says “blah” quite like Michigan in February! Cold winds keep us inside, we slip on ice, and the cloudy skies dampen our spirits. As I was contemplating this, I came up with a few reminders to help us all fight the Michigan winter blues.
Buddy up
Spending time with someone else takes your mind off the grey clouds in the sky. Grab a friend and go to a coffee shop. Window shop at the mall together.
Are your friends too busy? Make new ones! Attend a book discussion at the library. Join the church choir or a volunteer group. Go to a creative class at your local arts and crafts store.
Look for others to help
One of the easiest ways to beat the blues is to help someone else! Make it more fun by doing things anonymously. Challenge your family or friends. Give everyone a little note card that says, “Hope this brightens your day.” Encourage each person to use their card in the next 24 hours. Of course, to give the card away they need to do something for someone else – leave money for coffee, fold laundry, shovel snow, leave groceries on a doorstep, etc.
Activate endorphins
Take small bits of time in your day and do a quick pick-me-up exercise break to release those happy brain chemicals called endorphins. For example, I have started doing “exercise expeditions” with my sons. We walk quickly down the apartment building hallways. We do some stair-stepping on the lowest level. We wave our arms around crazily as we walk.
Another idea is simply to turn on some music and dance to a song or two. If you’re self-conscious, do it when no one is around. If you have children, get them involved. They will love being silly with you and won’t even realize they’re doing exercise.
Have a grateful spirit
It’s hard to be thankful and complain at the same time. This practice has really improved my mental health. I know – you may be facing really tough times. Try to find something to be thankful for, no matter how small. I would encourage you to purchase an inexpensive spiral notebook and each day write down things you’re thankful for. Some days one may seem hard enough, and other days you may find 20. Later, you have something you can read over when you’re feeling down.
So, the next time you’re walking outside, ankle-deep in brown slush, and you think of how “blah” the day is, remember these four little things you can do to turn the day around. In fact, why don’t you start right now by sharing this article with someone else who may be feeling a little too wintry today.
Jenny Herman fights the Michigan winter blues in Southgate with her husband and two boys. She thinks out loud about a variety of topics on her blog (manyhatsmommy.blogspot.com) and invites you to stop by.