Fill Your Cup
Hey Mamas, how are you? This week has been hard for me, for every reason and no particular reason at all. Motherhood is just like that sometimes. I’ve been home with my kids for two solid months, and while that’s not out of the norm for me, this week it just feels hard. I think we’re all craving some routine (ahem, school) to our days, and some time apart from one another.
I know the time will come for those things, sooner than I think. The past few days I’ve been irritable and short tempered. I know that it’s normal and even ok to have days like this. But I know that I can’t let myself stay here. I need to fill my cup so that I can continue to keep pouring for my family. Here’s how I’m finding ways to keep going, even when I feel like I want to quit.
-Go for a walk
- Go for a drive. Grab a coffee and wander the back roads. Roll the windows down and let the wind whip through your hair.
-Go outside. We know this one is a game changer for our kids, but it’s also true for us! Over the weekend, I took a book out to the hammock and just sat and read. It was glorious.
-Carve out time to read for pleasure. After my kids go to bed works well for me. No self help or parenting books…beach reads only.
-Grab your camera (your phone totally counts!) and take pictures of things that make you happy. I’ve always found it very relaxing to photograph nature. Last night I did exactly this and took photos of our sunflowers popping up throughout our gardens.
-Hire a babysitter or reach out to a friend to take your kids for a few hours and go do something completely selfish. Walk the aisles of target, get your nails done, meet a friend for lunch. When you’re feeling better, return the favor so your friend can do the same!
-Find a good show to watch. Might I suggest “Virgin River” on Netflix? It’s like a Hallmark movie, only a series!
-Buy yourself a treat.
-Take a class. Last week I signed up for a class at my friends flower farm. I brought my neighbor along and we spent Friday night walking through flower fields, learning a bit about them, and we got to make our own bouquets to take home. It was lovely.
-Clean your house. Or don’t. My mind is most settled when there is order to the chaos, so sometimes self care for me means cleaning the house and tackling the laundry.
-Call a friend or family member, and just have a good ol’ conversation.
Whatever brings to peace, comfort, joy, and fills your cup, do that. I know it’s so easy to ignore that little voice inside that’s crying for attention. That is me to a T. But when I stop and listen to it, feed my soul even just a little, I am just a better and happier person all around. You deserve that.
xo,
Amy