Creating a Mindful Midwinter

     I don’t know about you, but I am getting tired of winter. Christmas was great, the first snowstorm was fun, January started with a bang as I focused on my new goals, but now here we are midwinter and some of that fun and momentum is gone.  I’ve noticed that I’m getting tired of the cold and have a tendency to get the winter blues.  To improve my mindset I”ve taken some steps to refocus on my goals and feeling good.

Complete a Project You’ve been Worried About

      We’ve all got a task in the back of our mind that we need to accomplish such as finishing a household project, organizing photos, or writing thank you notes.  For me that project in the back of my mind was corrections for the interior of our upcoming book, Mindful Makeover for Moms. I’ve been working on them since early December and finishing them was occupying a lot of my thoughts.  Well, last Monday I finished them. It felt like a load had been lifted off my shoulders and got my week off to a positive start!

Get Inspired

     Recently, I had the opportunity to hear two motivational speakers, George Flemming and Chip Madera, as part of the WNC Leaders series.  Both of their talks got me thinking about what else I could be doing to get the most out of life.  One of Chip’s points was you may as well have a positive impact on everyone you meet because you’re going to have some kind of impact.  This has really stuck with me because I am not always aware of how my interaction is going to affect  everyone I encounter, especially my family.  I’ve also been reading, Growing the Positive Mind  by Dr. William K. Larkin which has given me great tips for developing a more positive mindset.  Whether it’s a book, a speaker or a friend look for a positive influence in your life and think about how you can grow.

Ramp up Your Exercise

      I also recommitted to my exercise goals. Sunday night I made a realistic workout plan for the week and made exercising a priority in my daily plans.  Given the cold weather I had to convince myself a couple of days to hit the gym, but I felt so much better afterwards.  I hit the weights three times, did cardio every day except Sunday for 30-60 minutes and stretched after all workouts.  I changed up my routine by increasing my run intensity on Wednesday and going to a wonderfully challenging yoga class at Brightwater Yoga.  Those workouts definitely improved my mood and helped me have patience for my three year old daughter. 

      Change your perspective and discover how you can move forward and create a Mindful Midwinter where you continue to move forward with your goals and feel good about where you are.  Happy Mindful Midwinter!

Live Well Mindful Mom,

Laura