Being a new mommy means lots of sleepless nights, lots of new worries, and (it seems like) not a moment of my day to myself. My mom came to visit and so much got done around our house, but now that she has gone home, I find that I have 10 lbs of demanding screaming for me when I put him down so I can made myself some breakfast. Do babies come with a a sixth sense to wake up when mommy is trying to eat?
In the first week of mommyhood, I found myself with a constantly hungry newborn. The hardest day came when he was hungry every 15 minutes. By the time B got home from work, I was hungry, exhausted, and on the verge of tears. I’m learning, quicky, that I don’t have that many urgent needs. Most of the things I need can be put off, but that day, I realized that I have to take care of myself so that I can take care of my family.
Moms especially put off their own needs to nurture everyone else. Hungry, drained, crying, she wonders why she feels resentful of all the demands placed on her time. In this crazy season, take time to nurture yourself. Make a vegetable tray so you can grab a carrot instead of another cookie. Take time to exercise. Go out for a walk. Read a good book. Soak in a bubble bath. Take as much care with yourself as you do with your babies. When you baby yourself, you will feel more prepared to baby all those around you.
Have you ever talked to your older self? Have you ever gotten advice from the future 80 year old self? In the winter of your life, what will you see as your greatest accomplishment? When you are 90 years old, what regrets will you have? Right now is the time that you can develop those accomplishments and ease those regrets. Can you make time to listen to your older self?
About once a year, I try to evaluate my life direction. The usual advice is to write your obituary. What do you want people to say about you when you are gone? What do you want people to remember about you? It’s a nice thought, but it doesn’t help me much with planning my life out today.
I’ve had a good chance to get acquainted with my 80-year old self. She doesn’t know anything that I don’t know today, but she has the courage–in the winter of life–to tell my spring time self to act now. She knows the pain of things left undone, and only I can ease that pain for her.
She’s the one who told me to write often and write passionately. Today she told me not to waste my life on clutter. There’s not enough time to devote it to things that I don’t really love.
What does your 80-year-old self have to say to you? Stop and listen to the wisdom within your own heart.
by Sunny Daydreame on January 4, 2008
in Uncategorized
Photo: rappensuncle CC-By-SA 2.0
Do you ever catch yourself holding your breath as you go through the day?
It all starts out innocently, you are working and in a rush. Your to-do list is 100 pages long, and you are stressed out. As you hurry though your day, you are suddenly overwhelmed by the need to stop and breathe.
Breathing is about making space for you to live.
It’s about taking time to take care of yourself.
Breathing is about nurturing and detoxing.
What one thing could you do today to reduce stress?
Just for today, stop holding your breath. Stop living life like it is an emergency, and do one thing to nurture yourself
