Little Victories

Who knows why mood swings happen? Sometimes waking up grumpy, other times just getting in a slump. Observations:

1. The mood always passes eventually, so waiting out the storm out works. Often I'll sit quietly in the living room and watch T.V. to keep my mind from brooding about anything, sometimes drifting off to sleep for an energizing nap. When I catch myself feeling crabby, I let Dena know... I also refrain from making any major decisions and especially from sending e-mail.

2. I've found that little victories can speed up the turnaround time. Who'd guess that mundane things like getting a haircut or paying a bill could work so quickly? I think the feeling of accomplishment, however small, can work like a sandbag against whatever (sometimes unconscious) flood of similarly minor things created the bleak mood in the first place.

3. It's almost impossible to feel unhappy and thankful at the same time... so finding something (or a hatful of somethings) to be thankful about has been a fast remedy on many occasions.