It Cures What Ails You...

It’s been kind of a long week here in the world of Working Title. Of course, when your work week starts with a big 9am meeting on a Monday morning, how else can the week go?

I might as well go ahead and tell you too, that I wore my grumpy pants quite a bit at the start of the week. I grumbled and moaned and fumed about things both in and out of my control, both at home and at work. I vented to friends, I muttered to myself a bit, I even allowed the tiniest bit of self-pity and a woe-is-me attitude to consume me for a few days. Man, I hate that feeling. You know the one, right? That bad mood that creeps in, plants himself firmly in your brain like an unwelcome house guest, and refuses to leave no matter what tricks you try to shake him from your thoughts.

Wednesday evening though, the tide began to turn. For the first time in a very hectic, not a lot of time to myself week, I made it to the gym. Here's the thing about the gym. Deep down, I know I always feel better when I’ve done something physical, when I’ve taken an hour or so to just focus on my health and my body. My mood brightens, I feel stronger, more awake, my mind less cluttered. I know this. I’ve learned this lesson over and over in my life, yet I still have to force myself to say no to other evening activities or happy hours, to carve out this time for myself, and finally to JUST. GO. For some strange mind-game reason, every night it seems easier to just stay in my work clothes, head home to the couch and by-pass the gym altogether. Yet each time I opt for the “hard” choice – of schelping my gym bag into the office and then on to the gym, of changing out of work attire, pulling my hair into a ponytail, and getting to a yoga class or climbing onto the elliptical machine, it dawns on me all over again how much better I feel after breaking a sweat.

Wednesday night was also the evening our fair city was to be blanketed by a foot of snow. This was a prediction that was soon downgraded to 8 inches, then 6. By 7:00, they were estimating 3 to 5 inches, and we finally ended up with not much more than a dusting. Still, refreshed from the work out and a healthy homemade dinner I hunkered down for the night with my head on straight for the first time in days. I even managed to soak in the little things around my apartment that make me happy and content, things that helped send those doldrums to the curb.

Hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows in a pretty pink mug.

The one strand of soft white Christmas lights I leave up year-round in my kitchen and their charming reflection on my laughing boys photo.

My Hunter boots.

These are boots that I use almost daily, and adore so much I can never quite put them on without allowing myself a tiny smile. In fact, I recently allowed myself to make a second Hunter purchase, finally indulging in my quest for bright red wellies...

If a workout, hot chocolate, and shiny red boots won't kick a bad mood to the curb? Well then, nothing will.