Hopefully you have a quiet, low-key weekend planned to relax and recover from a hectic week! That’s what our plan is—thank goodness it’s Friday!
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Over at The Every Girl, there is a great list of ways to simplify your hectic life and decrease the amount of stress you have. They are all simple ideas that may have a huge impact in your physical and mental health. I’ll be working on #6 and #7 this week.
“As fun as social media is, spending all your waking hours plugged in can leave you feeling anxious and on edge. At least once a week, commit to turning your phone off or leaving it in the car during a social event or solo excursion. It’s fun to relive your memories through photos and Snapchat videos, but it’s even more special to fully enjoy your experiences while they’re actually happening.”
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In my ever-changing world of emotions, I can be filled with love and joy one minute, only to walk into the next room and loose it. Rachel, over at Hands Free Mama writes so beautifully on choosing to have joy in spite of the circumstances, and making it a habit:
“Because when you base your happiness on tasks being completed, notes being in pitch, plans running accordingly, and hairs being in place, you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment.
I wanted my goal to be joy: Did I see it? Did I grasp it? Did I exude it? Did I personify it? Did I spread it?”
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There’s no deep meaning or insight to this blog post from Grace over at Camp Patton. I read it three times, and belly laughed out loud each time. These are real husband responses.
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This is such a fun keepsake to work on as a family! I can’t wait to get started on mine this weekend! Thank-you, i heart naptime, for the great inspiration.
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While I have an extremely extroverted personality, I still find moments in my day where the noise seems to be out of control and I begin to feel like every alarm is going off and I just need a moment of quiet. Erica, over at Let Why Lead, has some practical advice for creating moments of quiet in a mother’s day.
“Children are loud. Their fighting (often over the smallest things ever conceived) feels like nails on a chalkboard to a mom who has heard it all day.
I find that even their happy play often SOUNDS like fighting.
Earlier this year I was describing this to my therapist—knowing there wasn’t a lot I could do about it but just needing to get it off my chest.
She said it seemed like my “alarm center” was getting triggered a lot. I was struck in that moment by how perfect her description was. The noise of my children often triggers an alarm I can hear in my head and feel in my heart. I feel my agitation rising almost as literally as I feel the bath water rising when I fill the tub for one of my kids.
I know I need to find shelter from the din or lose my marbles once and for all.”
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My sweet friend, and fellow homeschooling mama, sent this to me earlier this week (thanks Christi!). Going into a weekend with the mindset of the article below is the perfect way to bring rest to my week-weary family. Read the full article at The Rabbit Room. Thank-you to Heidi, over at Mt. Hope Chronicles, for bringing featuring this excerpt:
“Sit down with your children and listen to them. Eat with them. Hug them. Teach them to tend a garden, placing your hands in the wounded yet life-giving earth. Stop doubting and believe. Look your daughter in the eye and tell her she is more beautiful than she could possibly imagine. Muster the courage to show up at church on Sunday. Make your home lovely. Commit to the slow work of shaping the world around you so that it looks like your best guess at what the Kingdom looks like.”
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I hope your weekend leaves you rested and inspired!
#pjparenting
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