Happy Boosters

Some days, I feel like I have too much on my plate. I feel overwhelmed. I do a little bit of everything, yet nothing gets completed. Please tell me I am not the only one who feels like this! All the moms who look like they have it all together, you guys are just pretending, right? 

The holiday season tends to make this feeling grow exponentially. Some days, I wake up and I just know the day will be a blur - I go on auto pilot. No idea how I make it through the day. My body just moves and luckily a list of to do items helps me feel a little productive.

I'm still learning what helps me relax, focus and get in gear, but I have a few things that really do help me. I don't know if it'll help anybody else, but it works for moi.

JULIA'S LIST OF HAPPY BOOSTERS:

1) Lay down or sit tall, close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths (10 if I really need it).
I am amazed at how this works so well for me. It helps me relax and regroup.

2) Tell yourself to smile and have a great day. You gotta look in the mirror while doing this. Look at yourself straight in the eye and say, "Have a fabulous day, dah-ling! Smile!". If you know me, you know I have no problem doing this.

3)  Stretch. Oh, I love this one. You don't realize how tense you are until you start stretching your neck, shoulders, arms, back and legs. There's always time for a quick stretch.

4) Go on Pinterest or Youtube and find funny/cute things. If I'm in need of a laugh, I search for funnies and they always work! I always find something that makes me laugh out loud and laughing is an instant happy booster.

5) Take a cat nap. This is a new realization for me. I never took naps before. I didn't like naps. I didn't like having to sleep when it was still bright out. I felt like I was missing out on life. I'm over it now. If all the stars align and I'm tired and Christopher is napping, then I'll take a cat nap. 10-15 minutes helps a ton.

6) Make a list of to do items. If I didn't write things down or make notes in my cell phone, I would be lost. I meet so many moms who look like they never need to do lists. To you supermoms, I raise a glass.

7) Hide my cell phone. I have a love/hate relationship with cell phones. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, texts, emails, phone calls, Kakaotalk. At times, it is too much. I go through days where I leave my phone on my nightstand in the mornings and ignore the world for a few hours. It helps me focus on the simpler things in life.

8) Workout. I have never met a person who said they regretted a workout. Endorphins, baby!

9) Hugs and Kisses. If I need 'em, I'll get 'em.

10) Rant. Sometimes, you need to tell someone how stressed you are and somehow that act alone magically makes the stress go away.