what’s your word?

story by | deb uglem

Well it’s February. For the shortest month it’s long! I know we all should be walking around with smiles on our faces and thinking about love and hearts and all that stuff, but around this time of year I find myself not quite right. The excitement of the holidays is gone and the New Year already seems like forever away. Most of my resolutions [I mean lifestyle changes!] have been broken or forgotten. Not even Saint Valentine can pull me out of what I have now come to call my February Funk.

It is cold, snowy and slippery, the days are short and there is no end in sight for winter. It is just plain hard to be upbeat this time of year and I find myself in a mental battle. In the past I would counter act this feeling with a little [lot] of retail therapy. However, lately my husband has been walking around the house mumbling about the fiscal cliff. Apparently it has nothing to do with government and everything to do with his wife’s spending. So I must find a better option.

Maybe you have a case of February Funk. The symptoms include, but are not limited to: wearing sweatpants A LOT and not going to the gym; sitting on the couch and thinking about cleaning the kitchen, buying groceries, making dinner or combing your hair and then not doing anything. It’s hard for me to understand my funk. Because really there isn’t too much going wrong, actually things are GOOD. Hubby’s working, the kids are healthy, my job is exciting, food on the table, roof over our heads, and so on. Some would even say I have the life of riley. Which only translates to feelings of guilt about how I feel. But guilt doesn’t cure February Funk. I know if it were someone else, I would tell them, “Get over it and off the couch!” in my best mom voice.

Instead, I have been doing my usual remedies that include drinking lots of coffee, buying expensive facial lotion and buying “dressy” sweatpants that you can totally wear out of the house [maybe my husband has a point about that fiscal cliff thing]. My usuals didn’t seem to be working so I did what any woman in her right mind would do—I turned to the Internet. There are several ideas for fighting the February Funk or Seasonal Affective Disorder as the Internet calls it [I like my name better because it’s more fun to say]. They include things like exercise, diet changes and getting up earlier. Do I have this disorder? Probably not, but I do think I have slipped into complacency and heavy avoidance mode. Needless to say I kept searching. Looking for the easy button.

I read a ton of mom blogs for research [I really mean fun here] and I ran across an interesting idea. Choose a word that will describe your upcoming year and live by it. Bingo! That’s one I can handle. Now most examples are crazy, great, and meaningful. They include words like motivation, flourish, balance, believe, confidence, passion and perseverance...you get the idea. After much deep thought—I had a lot of thinking time lying on the couch —my word for 2013 will be…Sassy!

You probably gasped because when most moms think of “sassy” it’s in the negative sense of the word. Time to put a Sally spin on it. Sassy is defined as lively, bold and full of spirit. When I read that definition that is exactly how I want to attack 2013. I am going to be lively and live in the now. I am not going to worry about last month or what is going to happen next month. I am going to enjoy today. Maybe even ditch the sweatpants for skinny jeans and boots. Which leads too…being bold. I am going to dream big and focus on what I want, setting goals and celebrating the steps I make to achieve them. This will definitely involve getting off the couch and actually going to the gym! I will be full of positive spirit when I interact with my kids, husband and friends and share my happiness with people around me. I am going to have fun. In short I am going to add a little “sassy” to everything I do.

So, if you find yourself feeling not quite right, take a minute and think. Maybe it isn’t just you being tired and overworked, you know..being a mom. It could be that February Funk [sometimes it can creep into other months too] hitting you. First recognize it, secondly don’t feel guilty about it and lastly do something about it. Take some time to find the word that will define your year. It will set your mind and body in motion. Work it into your everyday life. Find your Sassy Sally Self. And don’t worry Spring is on the way!