Lists

How To Avoid The Baby Blues (Or The Toddler Blues, Or the General Mommy Blues...):

• Talk, talk, talk.  

Find a good friend (preferably a fellow Mama) and talk it out.  You'd be surprised how often other Mamas are feeling the same way.

• Get out.  

Staying cooped up in your house is a sure-fire way to bring on the sad.  As difficult or exhausting or annoying as it may seem, getting out and about will raise your spirits.  Call a buddy for a playdate.  Go window shopping.  Even going to the grocery store can help.  Skedaddle and see what happens.

• Realize that you are NOT alone.  

You probably have other Mama friends who can empathize and, even if you don't, there ARE other Mamas out there who can.  Find a blog or a community forum or a meet-up group where other Mamas are talking about the same things.  I promise you, there is someone out there talking about it.  Whatever it is.

• Take a break.  

While that may seem impossible at times, there are levels of breakage here.  There's the tiny break: baby is crying or toddler is screaming or both kids are tantruming and you JUST CAN'T.  Put the kids safely in their cribs and go to the bathroom.  Even 5 minutes alone can help.  There's the breather break: when your partner gets home or your babysitter arrives, find a way to get 20 minutes to yourself.  Take a long shower with your favorite shower gel.  Go for a walk.  Go get a mocha.  Cuddle up with a blanket and read.  Finally, there's the much needed, but fairly rare, daylong break: take a day for yourself.  It may only happen once a year, so make it good.  Do something that truly makes you happy.  Hang out with good friends.  Go for a spa day.  Get a sitter and take a day with your husband.  Whatever you do, make sure it helps you relax.  It might not happen again for a while.  But even if it doesn't, even the tiny breaks can help.  TAKE THEM.