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Tips to help the January Blues
IT IS JANUARY….
JANUARY = it’s cold.
JANUARY = it’s rainy/snowy (depending on where you live).
JANUARY = Life is DAMN stressful.
By Jan 10th, my nanny decided to resign and leave me completely screwed on childcare, my dog said he was angry at me for going back to work by eating every bra that I own, and I was already 100% broke and looking for stuff to sell on EBay. My kid had a cold which kept us both awake several times a night resulting in big ugly bags under my eyes, my skin looked lifeless, and to be very honest, my tummy could stand to lose a couple of pounds after the festive season…which is why I am OK with my scheduled colonoscopy tomorrow. One must become a wee bit concerned with one’s quality of life when a colonoscopy seems appealing. I am just not coping with this 5:2 lifestyle at the moment.
Thankfully I have a group of girlfriends who are my age and live equally hectic lives. We are all professional women who are juggling children, careers, social lives, husbands/boyfriends, fitness and animals. We are doing our very best to balance fun with responsibility, overachievement with time management. We depend on each other for good advice, lots of laughs and tips that help make our lives easier.
Burdened with the January blues, I sought refuge in my girlfriends as I begged for their valuable advice in my time of need. ‘Hey it’s me. I am in a rut. WhatDoIDo? They are international, modern, and intelligent woman. Their advice is invaluable…. And so I thought I would share their answers:
ELAINE: A consultant in Switzerland, specialising in the beauty industry. Elaine is a single mom, much like myself, who is bringing up a very determined 3 year old boy. “JT, Its cool, I know what you need. You need to throw a fabulous dinner party, invite lots of friends and ask all who will attend to bring wine, Prozac and tranquilizers. That should sort you until Feb.”
CLAUDIA: a high powered lawyer in NYC and a mother of 2 children, 1 puppy and a cat. “Hon, I wish I could help you but the dog has just snuck into the neighbour’s garden again and has attacked their chickens. I’m pretty sure that they will sue for damages and for his continuous breaking and entering. I am completely swamped with work….it seems that everyone’s boss is a bitch lately, and they are all suing each other. My kids are screaming for my attention and I barely see my husband anymore. Barely remember his name. So all that being said…do you mind if I call you back?”
ROBBIE: a speech pathologist helping children express themselves. She is a mother of 3 and manages a very complex extended family. She says: “JT, I feel your pain my friend, I’m not having an easy one myself….. January is usually MY time. It is the month that I feel re-energised… like I have the chance to reinvent myself. This January I arrived home from a very luxurious trip in the Dominican Republic with my extended family only to be faced with the fury of Montezumo’s revenge. So instead of dreaming up new ways to spend quality time with my kids or constructing new lesson plans, I sprinted between the trash can and the toilet and mopped up vomit when my kid couldn’t make it to the toilet on time. And then my birthday arrived as it always does in early January. I lay in bed all day. No gifts, no celebrations, except for my middle son who bought me a bracelet with his own money (very sweet). My husband did his usual “you make buying you a gift impossible. You don’t like anything I ever buy you…” The rest of them – NADA. Did I mention that I’ve been feeling fat? Anyhow, all this to say that I decided to join the swanky fitness club in town to turn my not so great start to the year around. It’s a cool place that offers all kinds of unique classes preventing any chance of becoming bored. So, this is it JT….Do as I am doing….get yourself your own personal trainer who looks and moves like a machine….. and maybe, just maybe, we will begin to look, feel and be like her!”
OK, OK, they may not be the most practical tips to get over the January blues…But it just makes you feel like you are not going through it alone. Thanks to my friends, and some well chosen skincare products, I WILL get through another January….
Thank you for reading,
JT
Single Mom...working 