Saturday, August 23, 2014

Happy

I really stink at self care. I admit it. I tend to put myself last.
Lately, my self care has involved eating gelato and spending too much time on Facebook. It's not good for anyone, especially me.



In the past, I had a much better grasp on self care. As in, I did it. Really since I became a mom, it's gone out the window. I work full time, am involved in the community and struggle with balancing it all with family and faith. I no longer keep a sabbath. It's quite evident in the fact that little to nothing gets done.

I am burned out. 

I belong to a book group, and we've been talking about putting ourselves first. I'm glad I'm not alone in the struggle, but it's heartbreaking to know that there are a lot of women struggling.For me, the first step is thinking about what would be painless first steps to taking care of me. The things that don't cost a lot or cause me to never be home.

Thanks to Pinterest, I found this great graphic. It's a great mindset. It's a heart shift. 
For me, I started with a list of things that I wanted to do that help me take care of the me in mommy. Some of the things I love include:
*napping
*working out
*reading
*eating a delicious meal
*scrapbooking
*dirty diet cokes 
* limoncello gelato
*beading
*funny movies
*soaking my feet
*yoga
*prayer/meditation time
*giving myself a mani/pedi
* massages
*hiking
My heart is pretty dark and grim right now, because of my lack of self care. It's truly a vicious cycle. Since I'm not taking care of myself, everything from the condition of house, finances and health are all taking a toll. It's no longer an option, it's a necessity. I know it in both my heart and head. It's implementing it.
Thanks to Pinterest, I found another great graphic. It's a variation of Tsh Oxenrider's daily docket (http://theartofsimple.net/downloads02/), which has been a staple in my life for the last few years. I love the reminders for gratitude, inspiration and hope. 
For the next week, I'm going to do one thing (at least) every day that helps me take care of me. I'm going to do it, despite me feeling awkward doing them around my husband. It's a weird hang up of mine. I don't like cleaning in front of him either. Or changing. Or exercising. But those are my issues that I need to work on. I need to put my oxygen mask on, because I'm no good to anyone else. My spiritual life is in crisis too, which is no surprise. I haven't written in my prayer journal and I've gone through the motions.
Today, I start over. 
I'm putting down anxiety, depression and stress. I'm picking up exercise, eating healthy and rest. I'm working my way back out of darkness into the light. One day at a time, one thing at a time, one verse at a time.
Today, I shine my sink. It's the first step on my journey.
I will make fresh juice, which is an awesome start to my day.
I will spend time in nature this week.
I will spend time creating.
I will soak my feet.
Most of, I will keep a Sabbath. We all need a day of rest.











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