Happy Monday! I don't know what the weather is like where you are this morning, but where I am in NC, it is dark, rainy and dreary. I really wish that if it was going to be this cold here, it would just snow, already! A little white stuff is nice to see, every now and then, and we don't get much of that here. Truthfully, I much prefer the sunshine! I always feel sort of down when the sun isn't shining. 

After the holidays are over, it can be a tough time for a lot of people. I have been going through a weird funk for the past two or three months. I didn't notice it as much around Christmas time, because there were a lot of things going on, and the holidays are always exciting. Now that the holidays are over, my family is home from our winter vacation, and my birthday has passed (it was yesterday), I am making a huge effort to just plain be positive.

My anxieties and upsets have really been messing with me lately, so I am taking steps in the right direction to overcome the issues, so they don't take me over, instead:

Getting enough sleep.

I have been having a hard time falling asleep, and sometimes staying asleep. I find that reading a traditional book, and staying away from screens for at least 30 minutes before my head hits the pillow helps big time. The light from a tv or tablet just simulates the brain, so that's not going to help if you're trying to go to sleep. I allow myself the occasional glass of wine in the evenings, which always helps to make me feel sleepy- or sometimes, I opt for a Sleepy Time tea. When I just truly can't sleep, I take a Melatonin, which helps to suppress my anxieties and all of those thoughts going through my head at bedtime, so I can just fall asleep.

Eating right.

I have terrible eating habits- really, they are awful. I start the day with coffee, and keep drinking coffee until lunch time, usually skipping breakfast. I am trying to limit my coffee, drink way more water, and eat good, healthy foods at all meal times. Light snacking is okay, as long as they are healthy options.

Sticking with exercise plans.

I like to exercise, but I don't want to get up at the crack of dawn to do it. Sometimes that day gets crazy, and before I know it, it's after 8 pm, and I still haven't exercised- so I wind up skipping a day, knowing that exercising in the evening will just wake me up. My exercise usually consists of Pilates or Yoga, or both. A routine is usually anywhere from 20-35 minutes. In truth, there's no reason why I can't get up half an hour earlier to exercise, so that's what I am trying to do. I'm taking part in a fitness challenge at my church right now, and each week is lead by a devotion, and prayer. We are supposed to track our 'miles walked' (every 20 minutes of exercise counts as 1 mile walked) and turn them in each week. 

Keeping track of things to look forward to.

I may not have any huge plans or big trips planned right now, but hey- it's the second week of January, and this is always a slow month. I know it won't be long before the calendar starts to fill back up, and as exciting plans are made, I'm just simply writing them down, sticking them up on the fridge where they'll be in plain sight, so I will see that there are lots of fun things coming up for our family.

Devotions and prayer time.

I got way off track with my personal time spent with God last year. This year, I am taking time to start each morning with my devotional book, and to spend some time in prayer when the house it still and quiet each morning, before anyone else is up. When I'm working, I play positive, uplifting Christian music, and gently sing along. I listen to a positive Christan radio station, where inspiring stories are shared. This not only helps me to stay focused, but reminds me that I'm not alone- and neither is anyone else.