One of my closest mom friends shared an article that talked about the residents of northern Norway, who, one would assume, would have high rates of seasonal depression. Despite not seeing the sun from late November through January, the residents of these northern communities embrace winter and view it as a celebration, not a drudgery.

Many of us experience “winter blues,” which is a temporary, “Tell me again, why do we live in this climate?” kind of thing. Beyond that, though, is seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, which is absolutely no joke.

I have decided to take a dose of my own medicine.  Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, I worked in a Preventive Cardiology clinic where, day in and day out, I helped patients set goals to better their own health.  The typical method I used when helping people set goals was to make a S.M.A.R.T goal.  

If you are anything like me, your “mom brain” is always going 1,000 miles per hour. The holidays, especially Christmas, bring that number to about 172,468 miles per hour.

Most people picture doulas in the delivery room — rubbing a mother’s back, holding her hand, whispering encouragement. And yes, we do that. But the truth is, birth is only the starting line.

Over the past year, I have been grieving the loss of a broken friendship. I have been through this before, as I am sure many of you have also, but my kids, especially my daughter, were watching me in the aftermath.

Although winter can be snow-covered and magical, it can also bring about feelings of “winter blues” when the nights are longer and the daylight hours are shorter. It is important, especially as moms, that we have tools in place to protect our well-being throughout these good ol’ Wisconsin winter months.

Mommy Brain is a real thing.  The absentmindedness started while I was pregnant. I would forget to buy milk at the grocery store.

Restraint collapse is the idea that they spend so much of the day holding it together that when they get home, they kind of “collapse” into temporary deregulation.

Congratulations on completing your first year of parenting! As my own daughter just turned one, I’ve been able to reflect on the challenges, joys, and learning opportunities that I’ve encountered in the last 12 months.