Back in Bloom

Remember back on April 23 when I said that I was going to finish the Make Yourself Amazing in April...and Beyond series by mid-May, barring all sorts of catastrophes? I didn't take into account the possibility that I might just feel sad, worn down, and not interested in anything.

Even though the weather was starting to get prettier and we were nearing the end of the spring semester to make way for a calmer summer semester, I just felt blah. I would think about blogging, and it just seemed like so much effort. I knew something was off because I love to force my opinions on anyone who will read or listen to them write.

Slowly, though, I came out of my funk. I began to feel inspired to write again. I was a little more pleasant to be around (or so I thought...ha). I felt human again. Now I'm "back in bloom," so to speak. I'm ready to pick up where I left off and share a lot of the other ideas I've had lately. I'll pick back up with day 12 of the series this weekend...for real this time!

I hope all of you who are reading are doing well and haven't gone through a funk lately. If so, here are a few things that helped me:

1. Talking to people- I didn't necessarily talk about how meh I was feeling, but the act of just forcing myself to interact with others made me get out of my own brain for a little while.

2. Exercising regularly- I go to a fantastic gym, re:MOVE//Training, where the workouts are challenging and definitely distract you from everything but the sole goal of not throwing up! (Kidding...kind of!). But, even taking a short walk or doing something not as difficult helped.

3. Getting more sleep- We've started trying to institute a rule where we turn off all of our electronics an hour before bedtime so we can wind down and fall asleep more easily. We don't always do it, but when we do and get to bed earlier, it makes a huge difference!

4. Purging clutter- I know that this seems kind of odd or crunchy, but I think there's a connection between physical clutter and emotional well-being. When you're constantly kicking stuff out of the way or trying to find something amidst a bunch of junk, you just feel overwhelmed. I have a lot more to get rid of, but I'm off to a good start (my mom will be so proud of this one!)

I am missing the element of my spiritual relationship and walk with Jesus here. Honestly, that's a topic I'm not wanting to delve into at the moment, but I know there's a connection between my lack of faith lately and my mood. That's a goal that I'm going to be working on, and I may talk more about that later.

What helps you all get out of a fog and back in bloom? I'd love to hear what helps others!