Happy Mothers day to all moms – take care of YOU!!
With motherhood comes never going to the bathroom alone
again, your children wanting to talk while you are on the
phone, interruptions while you’re visiting, storytelling,
nap times when they won’t go to sleep, your children
wanting to sleep with you, being dog tired and your children won’t go
to sleep (hopefully not.)
Just when you think your teens hate you and won’t share their
feelings for a month, then suddenly they want to have a heart to heart!
Children are complicated creatures, but we all grew up and most of us
turned out okay! ☺
A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not its purpose.
When we are concentrating on our family’s best interests, we
still have to do things for ourselves. You must make yourself a priority
in your life, or you cannot do justice to your family’s needs.
Skin
As with our hair, we must clean our skin too. Oils and
makeup have been on our faces all day, so we have to cleanse it to
keep the pores from clogging.
You don’t need to be eating the sugar in your cupboard, so
use it to make a body scrub. Mix it with liquid body wash; you can
use brown or white sugar.
Wouldn’t you like to look good without spending a lot of
money? Sure, we would. Oatmeal is a wonderful skin tool. Most
of us have it in our house anyway. It has anti-inflammatory
products in it, which are normal exfoliates. Mix a handful of rolled
oats with warm water. Put on your face and neck and scrub gently.
Our skin is going to be with us for the rest of our life. We
should exfoliate it every week. This takes off the dead skin cells
and makes our face glow. Water is GREAT for rehydrating the
skin, and it will help cut down on the wrinkles.
Make a coffee exfoliation. It always helps to protect against
cellulite or improving it. It is also able to help varicose veins. Use
2 cups of any kind of coffee grounds, ½ cup of sea salt, and 2/3
Tablespoon any kind of massage oil. Mix all together. You have
other options; brown sugar, dash of cinnamon and vanilla extract.
Regain your self-worth and confidence. Don’t run around
braless and in a torn pair of sweat pants all the time. Make
yourself feel and look good. You don’t have to dress to the nines,
but I think you know what I mean. Motivate yourself.
Listen to your friends’ encouragement, take that “I cannot do
this” out of your vocabulary. Go through some old photos when
you were a young adult. Remember how happy you were? Well,
you can go there again with a little work.
Plan a reunion with some old friends. Play some old records
and do something fun with them. You’ll be amazed at the feelings
you will get from this…them too! They may be going through the
same thing you are, and you can learn from each other. Of course,
there is always that one… ☺
Be loyal to what you love, be true to the earth, fight your enemies with passion
and laughter.
-Edward Abbey
A form of codependency is to put yourself on the back burner
and put others’ needs before your own. We know this is hard to
do.
Be careful, though. You get to where you can notice when
something is wrong with someone and give him or her comfort
even without him or her asking. It’s actually more than being nice.
It’s more for you than them.
Codependents tend not to share their emotions and just
concentrate on everyone else’s problems, hoping to fix them. This
can create a lot of stress for the codependent.
Girl’s Night or Day Out
You always need support…someone to lean on, and your
friends do as well. You will be there for them and they will be
there for you, hopefully throughout your lifetime. We have been
friends for a very long time and don’t know what we would do
without each other.
We go through many relationships in our lifetime. Some
of those relationships are with friends. We rely on friends probably
more than our family. This is what friends are for: Laughing
friends make us laugh. It doesn’t matter what mood you’re in, these
people know what will make you laugh…
In this place and time, it is not as it was when the “Beaver” was
growing up. We don’t just walk around in our dresses all day, visiting
our neighbors and having coffee.
Now it‘s driving through the drive thru to get a $4.00 cup of
coffee, while talking to your friends on your cell phone.
No matter if we keep in touch in person or by phone, we still have our
friends. Whatever you do, don’t lose that.
Go to lunch, dinner, or a movie with a friend or friends. You
could have a “hen party” at someone’s house. Talk and listen to your
favorite music or play cards.
Swap places each time.
All moms should try to have one of these activities at least once a
month. Your spouse needs one too…if you get one, then they need one
too!
You can make an audience see nearly anything, if you yourself believe in it.
– Mary Renault
A hot bath will really get you relaxed. Try a little bubble bath,
candles, and pour yourself a glass of wine (if you drink.)
Play with your pet. They love you unconditionally and you are
their whole world. Just think how happy that makes them…it will make
you happy too! We believe that they are part of our families, and they
know when we need their attention the most.
Animals have a strange way of detecting when we are sick, sad,
depressed, or worried. Notice that they will stick closer to you during
these times. They usually don’t want anyone else around while they are
comforting you.
Watch a funny television show that will make you laugh aloud.
This releases dopamine, which makes you happy.
Get some aromatherapy candles:
• Chamomile – eases anxiety and helps you sleep.
• Lemon – refreshes and clears your mind.
• Ginger – gives you energy.
• Fennel – relieves tension and stress.
• Ylang-Ylang – lifts your mood and nervous tension.
• Lavender – calms and relieves tension.
To Reduce Aging
• Exfoliate your skin by using a loofah sponge.
• Cellulite – Add 1-cup whole milk to a warm bath.
• Moisturizing bath – Add 1 cup milk and 1TBSP honey to a
warm bath.
“The highest reward for a man’s toils is not what he gets for it, but what he
becomes by it.”
Join a local “mom” group…moms of twins, or walking moms.
Just find a group whose members walk together a certain number of
times a week. If they don’t have groups in your area, start one. It is a
great networking source and a built in “babysitter finder” with people
you can trust.
Having a massage feels like paradise. Nowadays, there are so
many other spa treatments that make your eyes roll back in your head!
Just imagine a whole day at the spa, being pampered and not
having a care in the world; just go on and have the whole deal.
Some spas offer champagne, and most have soft music and incense
that will put you to sleep as soon as you hit the table.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
Start with a pedicure and a wonderful massage chair. Have a
manicure. Then move on to the massage; there are many types out there
depending on your individual need or taste. Some of these will be;
trigger point therapy, Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, sports
massage, or a hot stone massage.
We go every now and then and can tell you that it’s ALMOST the
best feeling in the world!
Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.
Reduce Your Stress
Everyone gets stressed out from time to time, but we have to work
at lowering it in our lives. Feelings of stress are caused by the body’s
instinct to defend itself. This is good in the case of emergencies, such as
getting out of the way of a speeding car. If you just stood there, I wonder
what would happen. SPLAT!!
Women are especially good at dwelling on the past. You may have
an instance where you were wronged. Put it away. What are you
gaining?
Something good to try is writing your worries on a piece of paper,
wad it up, and throw it away. Try not to worry about them again. Just
TRY, Girlfriends!
However, stress can cause physical symptoms if it goes on for too
long. It can make you feel anxious, afraid, worried, and uptight. You
must try to let it go. This happens to all of us, so try not to let it worry
you; just try to make it go away, even if it means going to the doctor.
For the most part, people keep all of this inside…the worst thing
you could do. They’re scared and believe that they are the only person
going through this…guess what??? Most of us go through this at one
time or another.
Each person has different concerns that create stress and each
needs a blueprint to reduce it. People who have mental disorders, such
as: bipolar, depression, codependency, anxiety, etc., have an even
tougher time reducing their stress.
Sometimes they suffer just like the rest of us do, but maybe are
afraid to ask for help.
You must take responsibility and deal with it, to release it from
your life. Doctors can help you with therapy or medicines.
Relaxation Training
This can help with addictive behaviors such as drugs, alcohol, and
nicotine. It can help with anxiety, stress, pain, and depression. You can
even manage your hot flashes…WHEW, turn on the fan!
Most of these conditions may also require standard
treatment…people use relaxation training to alleviate anxieties from
long-term (chronic) conditions, such as HIV or cancer.
You are intensely aware of all thoughts and feelings that pass
through your mind.
Take slow, deep breaths and do the progressive relaxation.
Start with one muscle and move over your whole body. You
tighten and hold that muscle for a few seconds and then relax it. Do this
with all of your muscles, from toes to head. You will find that when you
get up to your head, you are fully relaxed and can rest.
You can also practice relaxation training by stretching, breathing
deeply, or using the same movement repeatedly…like walking,
swimming, or running.
You can calm yourself by breathing in and breathing out to relax.
Scrunch your toes and ankles and raise your feet and toes. Tighten your
thighs, go to water aerobics classes, and exercise.
A pulse rate of 60 is good. If our heart is racing or flopping, lean
forward so that your heart rests against your chest. Cough, shrug your
shoulders, or twist. All of this helps.
Try it…we have, and it has become a daily ritual in our lives.
Praying to your “HIGHER POWER” is a great way to relax.
Override bad thoughts with good thoughts.
.When you keep a journal, it will let you put down all of your fears
and concerns on paper. (DON’T LIE!) You can also write down what
kind of day you had, feelings, or just anything you want. Nobody will
read your thoughts but you, so work on your concerns one at a time.
Now go buy a journal.
Stop and smell the flowers, watch television, take a hike; a nap,
relax in a lawn chair, ride a horse, read a book, listen to music, or fall
asleep.
Yoga & Stretching
Yoga is a science practiced for thousands of years. It is supposed to
fuse the mind, the body, and the spirit. Yogis view that the mind and the
body are one entity. It gives you strength and balance. If given the right
tools it can find synchronization and heal itself.
Yoga is thought to be therapeutic. It helps you become more
conscious of your body’s posture and alignment. It makes the body more
flexible and helps you relax. It can make you feel better, give you more
energy, and have a peaceful attitude.
Be sure that before you start yoga to do some stretching exercises.
This will heat up your muscles and make them more limber.
Although most yoga classes end in a relaxation pose, classes that
give emphasis to slow, steady movement and gentle stretching are best
for stress relief.
Injuries can occur when yoga is not practiced in the right way. It’s
best to learn by attending group classes. Once you’ve learned the basics,
you can practice alone or with others.
The greatest revenge is to accomplish what others say you cannot do.
When odds are one in a million, be that one.
