"How do you all do it?" it is one of the top questions me and Samuel get when we are out in public and folks see the entourage we roll up with, 4 beautifully confident girls with boundless energy seems like a lot of work for most people. And guess what...It is a lot of work, and one could so easily become inundated with school calendars, work schedules, hair maintenance, laundry, budgeting for seasonal clothes shopping, etc.... And the truth is that there are days, let's be real "weeks" that I feel like things are just happening to me and I am literally just doing the "next thing up" because all the planning and scheduling to make this household run like a machine has seemed to go out the window.
But buried in those weeks, lying within those days and hiding in plain sight in each in every moment is an opportunity. An opportunity that doesn't take very long but can pack a punch and totally lift you out from under all the crap on your to do list and all the mental energy you are expending to keep up with the life you've created.
Finding ways to ground yourself in the present moment does the wonderful job of shifting your perspective and cutting off the energy drain of all the "doing", "planning" and "ruminating" which let's be honest is robbing you of living the life you totally want to experience and enjoy. Our main priority is to manage our energy whether it be physical, mental, spiritual, social, its all connected and when we have areas of our life that are draining us we need to assess how we can make the necessary adjustments to realign the energy flow.
Sometimes major adjustments are required, getting off that board, switching careers to something more flexible, hiring full-time nanny but for most of us that route may be too extreme or inaccessible. That is why we must realize there is no magic bullet that will save us from the overwhelm, no sweeping change on the outside that won't inevitably come with its own set of new problems to be anxious and stress over. That is why it is crucial to learn this skill of grounding yourself in the present moment and taking your moment, unapoligetically, whenever you need to pour into yourself. If I didn't regularly do this, who knows where I would be, because as most moms know the kids will come for you, Life comes for you! LOL
Here are the top 3 ways to take a "moment" to nourish yourself
Stop what you are doing and take a 3 min Breathing Break. I know, I know. You've heard this before but it is TRUTH! Take your moment with this one. Although you may not feel the weight of the world lifted and the sunshine through the clouds with each breathing break it is doing something. It is putting a pause on the "drain." You are nourishing your body and diminishing the countless firing of synapses to figure out whatever problem or situation has your attention at the moment. Reoxygenation brings clarity and each time your mind sneaks and starts thinking or wandering just kindly bring it back to the breath. There isn't anything you are thinking about that can't wait for 3 minutes.
Mindful water break. Yup. I said it. Listen, I could never commit to getting the recommended water intake my provider always touted. It seemed impossible and I literally could not create a habit around it until I decided to make it a part of my self-care and energy management strategy. The whole experience took on a new meaning when I made it a sacred thing. I became intentional about thoughts of nourishing my body. Whenever my mind wandered during my water break I compassionately turned my attention to the temp of the glass and the clarity of the water. How it felt going down my throat. Focusing my entire attention on drinking water has saved me in times when I might otherwise have made a rash decision, because I can go to my water break as a reprieve and come back to life situations with a renewed energy.
Use your bathroom as an alter. Most of us probably think of using the restroom as just a necessary function, Not giving it much thought or none at all. Some of us may have a visceral reaction to putting all of our attention on the happenings in the bathroom. We can use all of it and be with all those those not resisting them but gently bringing them along for the task at hand. We are so conditioned to multi-task with our mental energies in the bathroom (think about how many folks have reading material or even TV's in the bathroom) focusing our attention on our bodily functions seems ridiculous. It is however a built-in opportunity to ground yourself. It is a socially acceptable time and place to be alone, no answering to anyone, so why not take your moment. Capture your thoughts and tell your mind to rest and just focus on your body. Bringing your attention to the present moment, Sitting with yourself, as you are in this vulnerable space and accepting what is, is such a powerful tool in managing your energy and Letting go.
Taking these moments through out your day have a profound additive effect, within these moments is the key to sparking creativity, hearing your intuition on what moves you need to make and creating the spaciousness needed for gratitude to show up and do its work.
