I was recently reminded of a golden home-truth: that when we're feeling a bit down in the dumps, the hurdles we face can often feel heavier than they otherwise would. On reflection, this is something I know I can completely relate to and, in fact, it wasn't until somebody mentioned it to me recently that I kinda realised how much of an effect one bad mood can have on my whole outlook for the day.
Now, I didn't write this post to be all doom & gloom on your Monday morning (talk about the 'Monday-ist' Monday ever! ) But, it's true that ultimately, nobody likes a bad mood or to be around one, so I'm going to share some thoughts with you about how I have learned to banish them altogether, or at least stop them in their very tracks!
01. If in doubt, get out!
I apply this as much to the kids as I do to myself because it is an absolute failsafe. If you know your bad mood feeds off that sensation of being cooped up, of cabin fever, or being stuck in a rut, then I have good news for you; there's a wonderful antidote for it and it's called planet earth.
Whether for a simple 20min jog or a potter around the garden with the kids in tow, just getting into some open space outside is such a failsafe way to help you forget your woes.
If you can't leave the house, then even just opening the doors, standing on the threshold and breathing in fresh air can be a wonderful balm for a foggy mood.
I get that we all know exercise releases endorphins and makes you feel better in general but I swear just standing outside does the same?! (Or maybe I'm just easily pleased, ha!) Either way, getting outside always lessens the burden of a bad mood and can really help you reenergize.
02. Sleep.
I've been making more of a conscious effort to get to bed earlier recently and it's definitely doing me a lot of good. It's amazing how one or two extra hours sleep can benefit you mentally, make you think more clearly and be more productive too. I'm finding myself more energised with the children as a result of better quality sleep and it definitely feeds into my general mood when I've had consistent sleep. - And now I've written that, I've probably got myself a week of bedtime mayhem with the boys to look forward to! :p
03. Make time for fun.
I think sometimes we can get a bit caught up with routines and the things we know we *have* to do in any given day, week or month. Suddenly, we realise time has passed by and we haven't made a lot of space for silly, uncomplicated fun and I don't mean with the children but as down- time for ourselves as adults.
At the end of the day, I don't want to consider late -night laundry folding (no matter how peaceful it may be) as my 'fun time', so I'm trying to manage my time better so that when the children are in bed, we can go out on a date or even just enjoy a board game together. Those seemingly small, but happy details of the everyday contribute to the great tapestry of life and I think as busy, working parents we need to be mindful of injecting fun into the picture to keep a balance in our relationship and our parental/life responsibilities. Fun is also such a great remedy for a bad mood- no points for guessing that one, so I'm hoping my equation of 'more fun= fewer head funks' might actually have legs!
04. Eat enough.
I was going to headline this as 'eat well' which we all already know contributes to overall wellbeing and energy so I won't sit here explaining that one. However, sometimes I get so caught up with 'doing' in the day that I simply don't eat enough and consequently begin to flag physically and mentally later in the day. And that makes near- ideal conditions for a bad mood to settle!
These days I rarely skip out on breakfast because it makes me far more likely to snack during the day when I'm hungry. Also, it's really bad for the metabolism and post-kids, I feel like that dept has changed an awful lot for me. Undeniably, eating enough and eating well has a mega impact on my mental wellbeing, I wonder why I still underestimate it as a priority in the day?! Eat well folks and eat enough!
What are your top tips for getting out of a head funk?
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