I started out this week intending to whine, complain and just plain feel sorry for myself. You see, I was playing single mom all week. Dad-oo was traveling for business all week. All week. That’s a long time.

I actually had a post all written up. About how hard it was. About how I just needed some time. For myself. About how some days/weeks are harder than others. Whine, whine, whine. I’ll spare you the actual post, it isn’t pretty.

As I was sitting here, feeling sorry for myself, and anxious at the same time (did I mention that I interview Jeff Corwin on Wednesday?), I kept spiraling down and down, with no end in sight. Until the much anticipated, and much stressed over, interview took place. Which went very smoothly I must add. And all of a sudden, snap, I felt like a new person.

I realized that I tend to get trapped in my little world. In all of the problems that I have (too many playgroups and friends who want to see me and the kiddo, poor me!). I get trapped in my mind, my insecurities, my fears and my doubts. And when I get trapped, I have a really hard time getting out.

Unless, I do something that really takes me out of my comfort zone, like interviewing a famous person (I mentioned Jeff Corwin, right?). It doesn’t have to be something huge and life altering, but just something that gets me out of my head, makes me look around and realize that I have it pretty good. I have everything that I need out of life, and more.

I know that this is common, something that happens to everyone, even if we don’t like to talk about it. But for me, I’ve noticed that it has gotten worse since I’ve become a stay-at-home mom. I don’t have a job to pull me out of a slump. All I have is myself and this crazy little kiddo running around my feet, keeping me on my toes. And while that should be enough to snap me out of a slump, it sometimes isn’t (although those big bear hugs don’t hurt).

So from now on, when I feel myself sinking, I’m going to do something new, something that I haven’t done in a long time or something that just give me a quick snap. Sing at the top of my lungs to a song I love. Dance around the living room like a crazy woman. Go to a new restaurant or store. Pack the kiddo up in his snow gear and head out to a park, even if it is only 20º and cloudy outside. Whatever. I’m going to make a conscious effort to be in control of how I feel, and if a bad, spiraling downward day is creeping in, I’m going to shut the door right in it’s face. Take that!

I do have a burning question for the other SAHM’s out there. Do you suffer from the same thing? Have you noticed that it is worse than before you had kids/stayed at home? And most importantly, how do you deal with those days?