I'll be honest....this has not been easy for me. There are already limited hours in a day, and I feel like there is too much to do as a mother, wife & caretaker of the home. So, my changes have been small, but it's a start, right?Mind - I have pulled back on my autism/parenting related reading & researching. I have pulled out some puzzles, magazines, and cookbooks to do or thumb through during our rest time instead. I have considered reading some of the popular series such as Hunger Games or Twilight, but when I do that....I don't do anything else until I have read the entire series. Maybe this summer....
Body - This has honestly been my focus the last couple of weeks. I have downloaded an app on my smartphone, and it keeps track of my food, exercise, water, sleep, and weight. MyFitnessPal has a scanner on it, and I am able to scan the bar-codes on my food for easy recording. I LOVE IT! I have really been focusing on healthier eating, drinking more water, and moving more. I am still trying to figure out when I can get in my daily exercise as well as WHAT to do. But for now, I have been going on walks or bike rides or playing Wii Dance 3. I have already lost some weight, and I have more energy.
 |
| MyFitnessPal example |
 |
| I found this water bottle at Kohl's this past weekend. I love it! It holds 64 oz of water, and for the last 2 days, I have been able to drink TWO of them! If you would like one, click here! |
Soul - I have been doing daily devotions in the morning, as I was previously. However, I have signed up to receive my devotions online. I typically write in the morning after my devotions, so it has been easier to do it all on the computer. It's so funny. The day that I began to think about finding an online daily devotion, my friend posted that she had been writing devotions for a couple years, and was now making it available in a blog format! It was PERFECT!!!! If you would like to follow her online devotions, go to MyMorningCoffee.org. (Is that meant for me or what!?)
Also, I have realized that most of my life is spent either alone or with children. So, to combat the isolated feeling that creeps up on me so often, I have done a couple of things. I have decided to stop nagging my husband about needing a date night, and just do it! I took him out on a date last weekend, and it was GREAT! We went to a dinner for parents of special needs kiddos, and it was a much needed time together. We laughed a lot! I will be taking him on dates more often! HA! The other thing that I have started doing is Sunday lunches with my sister's family & my mom. So often, Sunday afternoons are filled with sleeping kids, busy husbands, and bored me. So, my sister & I decided that this time of day we should have a big lunch, put the kids down for nap & enjoy catching up on our lives. We have done this for 2 Sundays now, and it has been so much fun! Even though I see my family often, we never get a chance to sit & talk without interruptions. PLUS! I'm getting good use out of my cookbooks finally! (You know I only know how to make coffee....and that's it!)
Well....that's it. These are the small steps that I have taken in order to have a balanced life once again. So much of the past years have been dedicated to Ethan....which I wouldn't do any differently.....but as he is getting older & doing so well overcoming the challenges he faces, I feel like I am able to take a step back & spread my energies on other things.....including some time for taking care of me.
So.....how do you keep a balanced life? What are some things that you do in your life to keep things in order? Got any ideas? Send them my way! Share with us! Post a comment!!! We would LOVE to hear your tips & tricks!!!!!
Jessica, I'm so proud of you! I also go through times of realizing things are out of balance. Then I make changes, big and small. I'm with you on the healthy eating and exercise (even though it's hard to fit exercise in). I try to read some books without pictures (a.k.a. grown-up books). I also play random games on my phone, like Solitaire or Bejeweled, just to focus my mind on something that doesn't matter at all. I also enjoy baking as stress relief, but that hinders my diet! Lately I've been on a kick of finding things in my house that drive me crazy and then fixing one thing (like replacing something that's old or broken). Tonight we sorted through ALL the kids' toys and threw away some and boxed up some they don't play with so we can pull them out again in a few months. Just having an organized play area makes me feel relaxed. And we just bought a new coffee maker, so that will help with life!
ReplyDelete