4 Ways To Shake Off the Dark Moods of Menopause.

Seek out the good!  

• Avoid the urge to have a pity party and spend some time reading, watching funny shows like Schitt's Creek, Curb Your Enthusiasm, or old Seinfeld episodes.   Keep an eye out for positive but realistic messages. In my opinion, too many fluffy self help messages can become annoying when you are older than 16.  

Give yourself an outlet

• Write down your thoughts in a journal. Actually, you don’t even need a journal. You can just grab a piece of paper and write down everything you’re thinking and rip it up when you are done and throw it in the garbage.  I think of that as a metaphor for just letting go and moving on.  The alternative is to write in your journal regularly and read your entries as time passes.  I have a few journals from my twenties and early thirties.  I wish I realized how much more power I had that I just didn't own.  
• Have a candid conversation with someone you trust.  My favorite form of release.  Make sure that the person is tough skinned and not too much of an empath.  You wouldn't want them to go down the depression rabbit hole, too. 
• Get involved in something that’s important to you or create something that’s important to you.  Is there anything that you can think of?  
• Exercise really does help you work some things out of your body and out of your mind. It’s a de-stressor and can help provide better clarity of mind.  

Give your concerns to God

• Be thankful for what you have, every day.
• Be mindful of your thoughts. Observe them, and let them go, trusting that God will work things out for you.

Focus on your breathing

• Take notice of your in-breaths and out-breaths. This will help you stop thinking so much. It gets you out of your head and centered in the present moment, reconnected to your body and what’s going on around you.

And when all else fails, it's time for a cup of tea!  

 Love you and wish you belly laughs so big that your eyes tear up and your abs get toned.