Last week in Boston we were dealing with the remnants of hurricane Jose. Though it was nothing like the recent storms that have wreaking havoc all over the Caribbean, Texas and Florida, it was pouring cats and dogs all week. Our apartment windows looked very similar to the picture of Dublin above, gloomy and gray (more to come about our trip to Dublin in a future post).

The pitter-patter of the water molecules bouncing off of our wrought iron balcony railings have been singing a lullaby to us, “Go to sleep, take a nap… Don’t change out of your comfy jogger sweats… Stay in bed for an extra five, ten or 15 minutes….”

But of course, our weekly commitments caused us to ignore these suggestions from the weather. We trudged to work in the rain and reluctantly kept our weekly plans despite the urge to want to curl up on the couch and cuddle. By the third day of rain, we were starting to feel depressed, longing for the sun. Weirdly enough, we started feeling like we were stuck in this pattern of dreariness, sadness, darkness. We started feeling icky about our day-to-day, worrying about the little things, and dreading the next day full of the same old, same old.

This got us to thinking, why do we get down on ourselves, sulking in self-pity, dread or worry? We all have bad days, even the weather. There are days when we feel unmotivated or defeated, lazy or lethargic – moments where we feel stuck and are unsure of what to do.

After a heated game of UNO one night we discussed these feelings and how to deal with them. Together, we think the first step to getting through these experiences is acknowledging what you are feeling and figuring out why: Why do you feel sad? Why do you feel stuck? What is causing this day to go so wrong? Is it just the weather or is there an underlying reason for these feelings?

If the reason or cause of your feeling is something that occurs frequently, figure out the root of the problem. And don’t brush it under the rug, only to allow it to build up over time. Now is the time to confront the feelings you are experiencing so they can be

cleared away. If the problem is something you can’t control, let it go; if the problem is something you can control, approach the cause head on. Only then will you feel the burden and sadness fade away.

What’s step two? Do something that makes you smile or laugh. Allow yourself to feel ‘unstuck.’ Dance it out, cook the sadness away, run outside to stimulate your mind and body, read the new bestseller, write a new entry in your journal or blog like we are doing now – do something that makes you feel like you again! We decided to dance in our living room to the songs on the radio and made a plan to head out on a drive on Saturday when the weather was supposed to clear – it’s now feels like summer again around these parts!

Bottom line, every day is a new day. The rain will eventually stop, and the sun will shine again. Smile! And know that the next day can, and will, be better than the last!