Y’all, life happens. So, here I am sharing what’s happened over the last couple of weeks. Okay…charge it to my head and not my heart. Also, remember I #gotkids, so life is an adventure every single day. But I digress.
July was Mental Health Month. During the month of July, I took a few planned and impromptu vacations. I realized how refreshing these vacations were. Even with kids in tow, I was able to recenter, recharge, and regain my balance. It’s something about being able to be unplugged and away from work and people that truly refreshes us.
This leads us to self-care and how it relates to mental health. It’s so important to make sure you’re doing what makes you happy, whole, and healthy—-that includes taking time away. If you’re following the law firm on social media, you have noticed the “closed for a week” message. We decided to take a week away from work to spend time with our families and step away from the hustle and bustle of being “ON”. As a writer, attorney, and business owner, I have to maintain clarity and choose to remain balanced or the worse side of me seems to surface. Now, it was hard to not check emails and messages because we are trained as a society to always find a way to work—even when we’re on vacation; but I pushed through the need to check every notification and actually enjoyed my vacations. I am learning, we all have to find a way to balance life, work, and duties as a mother.
Look at the 3 ways I take care of ME so I can focus on WE:
1. Find 5 minutes to MYSELF to decompress. It’s difficult for me because I always FEEL like I can’t because it will mean I’m not using my time wisely. Yet, I am realizing that God allows me to find small, quiet moments where He speaks to me. Finding those moments of stillness and silence when you can connect to your higher power is POWERFUL.
2. Find time to do things you enjoy without GUILT. I am working on not feeling guilty for enjoying things and activities that do not include my children and my husband. My guilty pleasure is watching reality television shows (don’t judge me…), and I enjoy reading a good book. Neither of these things includes my children or my spouse, but I love it nonetheless. This summer, I went to the beach and the waves alone made me so calm. I had to be okay with the idea that I was not being a bad mom for spending time at the beach alone, but it was making me a better mom for taking time to clear my mind and have room to be the best mom to them.
3. Find time to check in with YOURSELF. Ask yourself “self, are you doing okay today?” You don’t have to answer yourself aloud, but make sure you’re being truthful with yourself. Ask yourself the questions to help you own your truth. I know I’m sharing my views on self-care, but I always like to hear how you’re taking self-care seriously in your life. Self-care is a daily activity and practice that we all need to prioritize in the noise society creates around being busy, successful, and in charge.
Talk to me in the comments and let me know the ways you’re practicing self-care. Until next time…
Nisia
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