The Ides of Blahhhh

March comes in like a lion–a dirty damp lion named BLAH who blows your neighbor’s recyclables across your muddy excuse for a lawn. March traps your long hair in your car door every time you find the strength to battle the wind tunnel of the grocery store parking lot, after catching your runaway grocery cart and finally seeking refuge in your vehicle. Ha ha on you when you try to check your blind spot.

Last night the wind kept me up in fear that a tree might smash the house and kill us. My lack of sleep obviously served to protect us and our property, as everything big and heavy remains in tact this morning including our heads. Anxiety saves houses and lives!

HAPPY MARCH!! THE IDES OF BLAH!

Will you fight the blah with me? Let’s fight the blah.

1. If the sun comes out make sure to go stick your face in it. You can even do this inside your home if you have a sunny window.
2. Buy some fun note cards and ambush a person in your life with a quick HEY or thank you or miss you. Send it to someone for a small delightful act of blah-resistance. 
3. Watch the movie Sing Street on Netflix. Instant uplift, great music (my 13 year old loved it, too).
4. Go get a new hairdo or reconfigure your furniture.
5. Buy yourself a crossword book on paper–or maybe Sudoku or even word-searches.
6. Make a plan for a walk in a park with your partner or a friend instead of the typically coffee or meal.
7. Pick three colors that appeal to you and doodle or adult-coloring book for 10 or 15 minutes, while you listen to music. I’ve found limiting myself to three colors helpful, otherwise my picture starts to look butt-ugly and butt-ugly doesn’t relax me.
8. I listened to LTYM auditions on Sunday and two things crystallized for me: First, we are so. so. hard. on. us.  Second, our innate resilience is extraordinary. Give yourself grace, give others grace, even give your home grace. Now give yourself more grace.
9. We get to wake up every day and start over. So many of the negative self-critical stories I tell myself about the feelings I think I feel result 95% from exhaustion. Sometimes the best way to fight the blah is found in going to bed early (when the kids do) or in a 20 minute power nap. Fun fact: 20 minutes of deep breathing rejuvenates the body as much as an hour of sleep. Even if you can’t sleep, you can breathe deeply, and here’s my favorite GIF to help you do just that right now as you read this.
10. Finally two quotes to help beat the Ides of Blah

Why would you wish darkness upon yourself when light shines all around you? — Doreen Virtue

Sometimes that light shining all around you is a crummy walk with a wonderful friend, a Lego dude laying in the mess who gets you, or a cute HEY note card. — Ann Imig

Oh hey! The sun came out. Off to stick my face in it. ♥