On paper October should be a wonderful a month. It doesn’t get much better than the prettiness going on outside right now, and these cooler pre-arctic deep freeze temps are what fall wardrobe dreams are made of.

That said, some of us humans (or maybe more specifically Americans) seemingly think all the best times of the year need to be jam packed with everything under the sun and then some. This can be an adrenaline booster for many (um…guilty) but at some point the tank will hit “E” and a wave of overwhelm will knock us right on our busy little booty.

I have been hit by that wave a few times already this month. Between everything we have going on, sickness hitting our home and the amount of work trips Sticky has scheduled, it’s often hard to bypass those “I am about to lose my mind” moments. Worse yet, if I don’t actually have my little crazy moment the miserable grump monster will make her appearance. Stink-eyeing the world and causing others to walk on eggshells around her…

Attitude can make all the difference in any situation, including the overwhelming ones. We all know that getting some fresh air, deep breaths, a quick set of jumping jacks or a power nap can boost ones mood. In my quest for more options I discovered some other ways that just may work as well:

• Force a Smile – frowning and burrowing those eyebrows is a lot of work for your face muscles which causes tension. Smiling, even a fake one, is a much more relaxing act for your face to perform. (I worked at Disney back in the day so I got this one down.)
• Get Creative – grab your kids crayons, watercolors, markers, whatever and create your ass off. Even if you do not have an artistic bone in your body that simple act of getting something in your mind on paper is incredibly releasing. Drawing monsters with Jettie lately has been my favorite mood booster. It really works!
• Smell His Dirty Laundry – say what???!!! Admit it ladies, you like the smell of your mans dirty shirts (well, as long as he didn’t run a marathon in them..gross). That smell can provide comfort that you may be lacking when your guy is away from home. Which article of clothing you smell is totally your thing…there is no judging here.
• Get Chatty – this sounds simple enough but honestly this is an incredibly difficult one for me (as it may be for a lot of you out there as well). First and foremost I have trust issues, making pouring my heart out nearly impossible. Second of all, the times that I have laid it all out on the line I feel this instant sense of regret because A. The other person doesn’t know what to say or B. They now know just how crazy I am and will go tell others. (Again, trust issues.) I do feel very fortunate that I am married to one of the best set of ears I know, but of course I am always waiting for the right time. Sometimes randomly stealing 5 minutes of those ears during a work day is exactly what I need to lift that heavy cloud. We have an understanding that these moments are not intended to bring his day down, that’s the last thing I would want to do. And of course I am that ear for him when he needs it as well. (Bonus, Sticky is pretty sexy when he’s fired up.)
• Visual Happiness – a great way to get your mind off something ugly is to look at something unbelievably happy. Wedding albums sure do come in handy here. Or any documented special day. This is also why we need some of our memories printed. Grabbing your phone and flipping through images does not have the same effect as picking up an album that you don’t touch on a regular basis. 5 minutes of going back in time to a day of bliss will make your mind bubble over in those good endorphins.
• Make a List, Force Organization – many times we feel down or overwhelmed because we start and end our day with chaos. Putting it all down on paper allows our mind to develop a plan. And the act of crossing things off the list give us the accomplishment we need. I am sure a great many of you already do this, and I do to an extent but am learning that listing everything, not just work related items, makes my day feel a lot less crazy.
• Say It Out loud and Tell It to Leave – a bad situation can get stuck in our brain, rearing it’s ugly head and raising havoc on what should be a perfectly fantastic day. Often times it’s relationships, what someone did or said – or didn’t do or didn’t say, that really causes the problems. We can’t change anyone else’s actions or thoughts, but we do have the power to change our own. Say what you want to say to your dog (or cat, or tree, or whatever) and leave it there. Sometimes uttering words like “We are done with that now.” is the release our life needs. Writing works too, but then there’s evidence so pen carefully. (Let’s face it, there are some things only the dog should know.)

Hopefully there are a couple things in there that will help you get out of a rut mood. If not simply picture me fake smiling and sniffing Sticky’s dirty laundry. That’s got to be good for something.

xo,