"The Only Way Out is Through"

I am not someone who sugarcoats things. I am a realist. Life is a roller coaster. Sometimes, there are bad times. Sometimes, there is pain and suffering. And I believe that, sometimes, the only way to get out is to take some time for mourning. People never want to tell you that. Because being anything other than constantly happy is a sign of weakness in our world. But I, for one, would never have gotten where I am now without all of my lows: learning from them, and moving on. And I expect to have many more. Just as I expect to have many more high points in my life. I think the hardest part about feeling low is wondering whether things will ever get better. There is also a difference between recognizing a hard time and dwelling on a hard time. I know, better than most, that it's not always easy to avoid the latter.

I thought I would share some things that have really helped me when I am feeling low. Some little, some bigger. They don't always work. And sometimes it's a push to get myself to do anything at all. Though these things are based on my personality and my own personal preferences, I think the common theme is that we need to slow down, step back, breathe, rationalize and practice some self care. I know I've talked about some of these things before but I'm gonna talk about them again.

Here they are:

Maylene in a tree pose

• Stepping outside and taking 3 minutes to breathe. Just breathe. No thinking, no worrying, no planning. Just breathing.
• Yoga. Staying calm is not one of my strengths. To say the least. But yoga has helped me with this tremendously. I also love yoga because it is a non-competitive way of challenging yourself. I'm proud of myself when I'm able to get into/hold poses that I wasn't able to before.
• Coffee dates with Maylene. I am going to be honest, I still struggle with taking time at home to set everything aside and give my daughter the attention she deserves. Our frequent coffee/hot chocolate dates give me a removed environment that allows me some peace of mind. I put my phone away (except for the occasional picture, of course), try to put my thoughts away and give her my full attention.
• Bike rides or hikes. That's a given. The older I get, the more I appreciate the beauty of nature. I breathe better when I'm outside. And the vastness of the wilderness reminds me that most of my problems are small and trivial in comparison.
• Reading. It takes my mind elsewhere.
• Writing. It gets all of my thoughts out of my mind and onto paper. Which can easily be set on fire. And burned.
• Thought replacement. I analyze some of my reoccurring thoughts, break them down and work to replace them with something that is more rational, realistic or positive.
• Turn up the music and dance or sing. Let it all out.
• Replace coffee with tea. Most of the time, I need coffee. But sometimes, the wired effect heightens all of my emotions and quickly turns into panic. Tea wakes me up and comforts me at the same time. 

There are plenty more, but those are some of my favorites.
Trick-or-treating tonight! I will try to share some pictures later this week. Pretty excited about the costumes I have up my sleeve.

xoxo,

M

Mama and May yoga class

Wheel pose