Tag: Schedule

Wash and Rejuvenate Your Soul

kswemba

Ever need a day to yourself? No schedule, no list of things needing crossed off, no places you have to be. I see some of you nodding yes. Maybe some are rolling their eyes saying that could never happen. Ok, let’s scale back. Not an entire day, what about afternoon, or a few hours, or an hour? Could you dedicate one hour to yourself completely?

Tricky question I know. I cannot dedicate an entire day to myself, or to the act of doing nothing but what I want. It actually stresses me out! Which is funny because it’s supposed to have the exact opposite effect and I should feel relaxed. But I stress and digress!

Today, however, I found that if the window was made a bit smaller, I could relax, calm down, and do whatever it is I wanted to do. I was able to sit on my back patio, write, and enjoy the amazing fall breeze. I slowed my breathing, felt the air completely fill my lungs before I exhaled. And then I felt something else……calm.

Our lives are very busy, whether your single, involved, having kids, without kids, working, job hunting and so forth. It’s busy. How about trying a short meditation exercise? Sit in a comfortable chair with your feet on the ground. Close your eyes, and breathe in and out. Listen to your breath, feel the air entering your lungs, filling them, and feel your heart beating. Then exhale. Feel your shoulders roll down, your back relax, the air exiting your lungs. Imagine your body becoming calmer, quieter, relaxed. Just be present for one minute. Then, open your eyes with your new found state of calmness and get ready to tackle whatever comes your way.

Pressure, Pushing Down on Me

kswemba

Good morning everyone! Is it just me, or does it feel like today’s society moves faster than ever before? That’s probably because it is. There is so much that we are expected to get done in a day that sometimes, I’ll admit, I’m already tired at the day’s beginning. Thank goodness for coffee! (Or tea if you prefer.)

Whether you’re a stay at home parent, a working parent, or someone who is single, there are obligations that you have to fill. There is work to be done at the office, deadlines to meet, kids activities/sports practices that you need to get to, housework, late night studying in college or to better your existing career. Pressure is always there, but we need to make sure we aren’t putting too much of it on ourselves, or on our kids.

I sometimes forget that my kids are only 4 and 6, and then am completely shocked when they act their age. Kids acting like kids you say? I know, like I said, somehow it shocks me! I have to remind myself that their little bodies can only handle so much activity, even if it’s a really fun one that they’re enjoying, it needs to be managed. Ah, time management, and not in the usual sense. I am really trying to be an energy detective, looking for clues if my children have had enough in hopes to prevent a meltdown. No one every likes to experience the full force of a child’s frustration. And, prepare for a spoiler alert, kids don’t like it either! It doesn’t make them feel good to completely lose control, not have the energy to settle down, and then face repercussions for a situation that they don’t have the ability to navigate. We, therefore, are their navigators.

I am a work in progress regarding this issue. But being aware of this, and to look for areas that need tweaking is the first step. As for the other steps, that I’ll cover another time. I’m tired! May you all have a wonderful day, and may your coffee, or tea, see you through!

Learn to swerve

kswemba

Hi everyone! Here in the mid-west it’s raining and in the mid 60s…it feels like fall! I have to admit, I do love a rainy day. It’s an opportunity to cozy up, slow down just a bit, because let’s be honest, you can’t exactly run in the rain. (Well, I guess you COULD but would you really want to?) You can still be super productive, but there’s an ease to the day. It’s almost as if you have to have realistic expectations since you can only get so much done. Extra errands become less necessary. I’ve already rearranged my day because the thought of taking my youngest in and out of the car to various stores in the rain just seems ridiculous.

Life is like that sometimes. We have a set plan for our day or week and then something unexpected happens and we have to adjust. It is in this adjustment that we can either succeed with grace, or fail. I worked as a nurse for 16 years, and I’d go into the unit with my set plan and mindset for the day. Which is funny because the minute I entered my first patient’s room that all changed. I HAD to adjust to my patients, to their expectations, fears, disappointments, successes, or regressions. You prepare yourself as much as you can for your day, then see it shift once it starts.

This shifting occurs all the time as a parent! I’m actually laughing at myself because there have been mornings when I’ve gotten up extra early, got ready head to toe, and have lunches packed all before my kids wake up. Once their feet make it downstairs, any of my preparedness is out the window, blown away by the storm that is children. It’s not all bad, it’s just that they are people too, with THEIR own agenda and THEIR own internal schedule. They aren’t robots set to obey all commands.

So today, be kind to yourself. Life doesn’t go to our specific plan. If it does, consider yourself lucky! But if you’re like the rest of us, remember that it’s going to be okay. Let the rain come, bring your umbrella, and shift when you need to!