Could You Use A 30-Day Challenge?

My home state and the one Beth still calls home, is described beautifully on the Pure Michigan website.

Here is a sample paragraph.

“The State of Michigan is blessed with the riches of unspoiled nature: the nation's longest freshwater coastline, lakes that feel like oceans, golden beaches, an abundance of fresh produce straight from the farm, glorious sunrises and sunsets and endless opportunities for recreation.”

Indeed, it is a beautiful state, and one Beth and I proudly, unabashedly, without hesitation, love.

Except for maybe in the winter.

In Lansing, the capital city, a thick mass of clouds, streaked by several shades of grey cover the skies day after day, covering even the possibility of a sliver of sun peeking through. Will it snow you ask?

Are we expecting a debilitating ice storm? Did they say hail showers are in the forecast?

Nope. We’re not expecting any ice or snow just yet. Just an endless thick, grey cloud cover.

And speaking of snow, ice or hail, that could happen too. Maybe even all at once.

And the winter is long.

It’s going to be hard to believe this story but it’s true. My birthday is June 10. When I was a kid, I remember waking up on my birthday morning to snow flurries! Of course, it was short lived with the big, fat flakes melting as they hit the ground. But that’s not the point. It snowed in June.

Crazy-cold dark days. Grey skies. Ice and snow.

Q: So, what’s a girl to do who calls Michigan home when that same girl deals

with seasonal depression?

A: She creates a 30-day challenge!

Beth goes on a 30-day challenge

Needless to say, this is May.

She’s through the worst of the winter, but like a prisoner burdened by a ball and chain, she is having a difficult time shedding her winter malaise. Habits like isolating behavior, watching a little too much TV, not inviting friends over, and leaving her weekend free, not even bothering to see what’s happening in the city, are all fertile ground for her depression to take root over the winter and continue to grow into spring.

But Beth will not let her melancholy win!

It’s so easy to form unwelcome habits, like hibernating and consuming too many snacks. And as easy as it is to form them, it can be just as hard to break them. But this is not her first rodeo with sneaky, devious depression. She has devised a clever plan that, if followed, should reward her with a delightfully pleasant spring and summer.

Let's all cheer on by following her journey on Facebook.

Starting May 1st and ending the last day of the month, Beth will keep us in the loop by sharing her progress with a weekly update post on Facebook. Look for it under: Beth's winter blues buster challenge!

Cheer her on with your comments!

And of course, if you need a 30-day challenge to jump-start a new behavior, or shake a self-defeating habit, join Beth, and share your progress.