Do you know the feeling you get when summer is over, when days are getting shorter and traffic jams are getting longer?

I always get into an after-summer-dip this time of year. Feeling a bit gloomy that summer is over and that we are on our way to another cold, dark winter. I realize this sounds a bit dramatic, but it feels like that too!
Normally I’m very well organized, my house is generally very tidy and chores are done when they need doing. I also tend to be able to kick myself in the behind to get some exercise done during the workweek. Right now, the laundry pile is bigger than it normally is, overblown flowers are staring at me from their vase and I can’t motivate myself to go for a run when it’s already dark when I get home from work.

The best way to conquer the gloominess, at least for me, is to stay active, but that is also the most difficult thing to do.
Last week during the week I spend my free hours (not that many of them) on the sofa, catching up on some TV shows. I didn’t do any housework and I didn’t get as much exercise as I would normally get. Yesterday I did the one thing that makes many women feel better. I went shopping! After a search that spanned several months I finally find the exact sofa that I want and I ordered it.

Finding and buying the sofa felt very good, but it also made me feel guiltier for being a slob. To top it off I went to bed way to late and didn’t do any ab-exercises. A vicious circle.
This morning when I woke up I decided that enough was enough. I got up and started the day with some serious ab-exercises. Then I did laundry, had breakfast, watered the plants and cleaned the bed sheets.
And I felt a LOT better already!

The rest of day I got some more exercise, did chores, I was reasonably active, but also had enough time to relax and enough energy and motivation to write this blog post as a bonus.
So, this is a note to self: if you feel a bit down again because of the lack of daylight, or because the leaves are falling, kick yourself into gear and get moving!