SEPTEMBER - HAPPY - And What A Mom!

The Challenge: Each month I’ll choose one characteristic I want to build upon to help me be the best mom I can be. I will determine several goals to help me carve that path, and I’ll report back on my successes and (undoubted) failures, too. In September, my theme is HAPPY.

First, some context… If you read my post yesterday you know that I’m struggling with postpartum depression. It’s not severe, and I’m working with a doctor on it. That being said, reflecting on what my September theme would be for the Ultimate Mom Challenge, finding my HAPPY self again and kicking my PPD in the butt seemed pretty obvious.

But even if you aren’t suffering from PPD or depression in general, I think we’re all in search of finding a deeper happiness in every day life, no? Gretchen Rubin wrote a book, The Happiness Project, where she spent a year trying to be happier through various method. She wasn’t depressed. She wasn’t even particularly unhappy, she said. But she wanted to see what she could do to better herself, her life, and her world… and just be happier.

I love her thinking, and I loved that book. It was, in fact, the inspiration for my Ultimate Mom Challenge! So with that in mind, let’s talk September goals and activities to become the HAPPY mom I deserve to be.

September Goals:

1. Read a relevant, popular book on the subject and start taking action as I read. September Pick: Happier at Home, by Gretchen Rubin

2. Determine one goal I want to achieve by the end of the month. September goal: Find my happy place. Everyone’s got a sweet spot where we look around us and go, “Yep. I’m in control. I look forward to each day, and I love to laugh and smile.” I’ve lost that feeling. Yesterday I had an appointment with a therapist and he asked me when was the last time I really laughed. It’s been a long time. Too long. I need to find those good feelings again. I will do it through self-reflection, therapy, some anti-depressants, and spirituality. I’ve been down this road before, and I think I have a better understanding for what I need to do to get back in the game.

3. Try one new activity that may help me accomplish my goal. September activity: Carve out 30 minutes EVERY DAY just for me. That’s right. I’m going to commit to 30 minutes every day to be 100% selfish and do something that makes me happy. It may be a workout, it might be a nap, it might be 30 minutes of TV time for the kids so I can write. Every day will probably be a bit different, but I’ll determine my activity based on my needs that day. Carving out me time with kids in the house will not be easy, I’m aware of this! I need to find a way.

4. Determine how I will involve the husband and kids so it’s a family experience, or at least, family benefit. September plan: Find activities that make me happy that include the family. This does NOT count as my 30 minutes of me time! There are a lot of things I love to do with my family: go to the lake, take a walk, go out to breakfast. But how often do we actually do them? This month, I want to focus on doing those things, making those memories… my family makes me happy, I need them to be part of this journey!

Here I go! This month, I am a HAPPY mom.