How to Treat PPD

     Do you have it? Have you heard of it? PPD...Post-Pageant Depression. Okay- so maybe it isn't a clinical diagnosis that can be found in any medical book, but that doesn't make it any less real to those who experience it. So, what is it? Post-pageant depression is that "slump" you experience after the pageant is over. It is characterized by feelings of fatigue, the "blues", lack of motivation, and a desire to eat everything in sight and forget what your treadmill or inside of the gym looks like. You may begin questioning yourself, questioning the world around you, re-thinking your goals and wondering if you have set the bar too high and dreamed too big.
     I would like to tell you that I have never felt this way, but the fact that I am writing this blog probably gives me away. lol. Don't worry, it's normal, and I promise you that you are not alone. So, what causes it? Well, just for a minute, let's take a trip down memory lane....
     One year or so before the pageant date, someone talked you into competing, you decided to cross something off your bucket list, you set a goal to lose 30 pounds, or you decided to try and fulfill the dream you had as a child of being a beauty queen. Whatever the reason, you took the leap of faith and decided to compete. You mailed in your application and fee, and from that moment on, the planning and dreaming began. You pictured yourself on the stage, laid in bed thinking of what you would say in the interview, and dreamed of what it would be like to have that crown placed on your head at the end of the night. You paid close attention to every detail, drove your husband crazy sharing all your thoughts about what you were going to wear and how you were going to walk and pose. You sought out sponsors, ran, did lunges and squats, shopped, got your hair colored and cut, did your nails.....and the list goes on. Your year was spent in preparation. Your daily life went on, but free moments were spent in pageant mode. There was HOPE....the hope that at the end of the night, that title and crown would be yours.
    Next, pageant weekend arrives, and the adrenaline takes over. You are so excited to meet all the ladies, but there is also some apprehension. It is finally here! Will I look okay? Will my gown be just right? Will I say the right thing? Will I trip in my heels? Millions of thoughts fill your head. There is a nervous energy, but you are having so much fun. Then, it's finally show time- and it is everything you anticipated....BUT, it is over in the blink of an eye! All that time spent preparing, all that hard work...over in two hours. And you didn't go home with the crown.You are so happy for the woman who did. She is deserving and beautiful. You are so glad that you put yourself out there, and your family is so proud of you. But, after the hamburger and cheesecake you celebrated with are gone and your bags are unpacked, that nasty PPD starts creeping in.
     So what should you do? Well, let me start by saying again, that this is normal. And let me also say that it is okay to be disappointed. However, you can't let that disappointment drag you down and keep you from moving forward. So, if you need a week of hanging out in your pajamas with no make-up, eating cookies and salt and vinegar potato chips, going to bed early and sleeping late- so be it. BUT- then it's over. Girl, you have got to do something with yourself! lol. You don't have to decide right away whether you will compete again (although I will tell you that this helped me tremendously to never get "out of the routine"). But, you do have to decide to get back on track. So, here is my prescription to combat PPD:
1) Sit down with a pen and paper and write out a new set of goals, how you are going to get there, and then commit.
2) Get back on that treadmill. You worked so hard for that pageant body and you look great! Don't let it go now!! Plus- exercise releases endorphins-(nature's anti-depressants).
3) Return to your healthy eating. Our bodies feel so good when we fuel them with the right nutrients. Eating all that junk just makes us feel guilty and sluggish- ewww!
4) Surround yourself with positive people. These are the people who really want to see you succeed in life. The ones who love you no matter what, and who think that you are a winner just because you breathe.
5) Cut out the "Negative Nellie's". These are the people who discourage your dreams or think they are silly, the people who do not offer constructive but rather destructive criticism, and those people who are more than willing to join you as you are wallowing in self-pity.
6) Have some fun! Go away with your hubby for the weekend, take your kids to the zoo, or have friends over for a cook-out. Whatever makes you happy and makes you feel alive- indulge in that!
7) Spend some quiet time with yourself. This is the time to sit and reflect, to think about those goals, and to hear what God is speaking to your heart.

     One last bit of advice- you entered this pageant for a reason. Think about that. Just because you didn't go home with the crown this year or maybe even last year, doesn't mean you never will. It takes work and everyone has something they can improve upon and room to grow. There is a learning curve, and you may be just coming around the bend. Don't give up. If you want it, go for it! Make it a goal to compete again in 2015, and seek out those who can help you. The sooner you shake off the PPD and get back in pageant mode, the more prepared you will be to take home that crown!

Big Hugs,

Teri
Mrs. Ohio America 2013

  "The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way".Robert Kiyosaki