November is my least favourite month. Aside from my husband’s birthday, which is ray of shining light, I find November to be the bleakest of bleak, the dreariesty of dreary. I’ve definitely got the blaahs this month, and I don’t know what to do. November’s bleak landscape of leafless trees and cold, damp wind seems be reflected in my psyche – I feel grey.
The morning is the most heavy: It’s cold. The baby’s crying, got to go feed the baby, Husband’s running, late, got to make coffee, the Boy has school in the morning (new thing for us), got to get him ready, give him big breakfast because his lunch is so rushed, the Girl likes a morning cuddle – she’s now a middle child and I don’t want her to feel neglected in this madness – oh yeah, what happened to my resolution to get on the treadmill every morning for 30 minutes – Damn, why didn’t I wake up earlier….
All of the above lays upon my morning self like a blanket of concrete, and I can’t get up. Can’t face the day. All the demands, all the people, all the noise. All the disappointment in myself – all that is left behind and not accomplished.
My internal "sensible person who’s not a whining baby" speaks up and shouts out: "Get up! Get moving! Focus on the positive!" Inevitably, I cast aside the concrete blanket and listen to that voice to face the day ahead.
When I feel that way about the season and about myself, I think it’s because we need some rest, a treat, something to make us feel alive again, especially moms.
Since I can’t call on a sitter last minute to look after the kids, while I head out to the spa, I found a great place that does moms and kids massages called Wallis for Wellness. And I have to say, I feel better about everything, the dullness of winter, the cold, etc.
Here’s where I found out about this place:http://www.sharesavvy.ca/cities/toronto/reviews/357
Take care of yourself!
Christina
November IS gloomy. It really, really is.
I’m just glad it doesn’t last forever, right?
I think the most depressing month is April. A taste of spring only to be blown away by snow, sleet, rain and other non-spring like weather. Your November is my April!
It’s hard when it takes so much of our energy to get everyone up and ready each morning but when you feel drained by the weight of a grey, chilly change in seasons, it makes it that much more difficult to want to get out of a warm bed. One small but helpful thing I do is set my coffeemaker to autobrew a pot for 6:30 so as I wake, I can smell and hear coffee brewing. It helps (a little) to motivate me and get me out of bed.
And, you should ignore those feelings of disappointment in yourself. You are a supermom! I hope you find that this feeling of grey passes soon and you can find yourself filled with colour and energy again.
Snow….eeek!!
I think, unfortunately, it will be years before that feeling of “all that is not accomplished” leaves us. There is just never enough time.
Try to carve out a tiny bit of time (even just 10 min) for yourself in all of the chaos. 10 min to sip your coffee, or read a section of the newspaper, or just sit. It isn’t much, but right now it may be all the time you can afford. And you are worth any amount of time you are willing to spend on yourself.