I’m a freelancer and work at home mom. I work a lot at home and we don’t have help. I also home school my kids. Sometimes, it’s a lot to process and I always end up tensed and stressed with all the unfinished work.
When I chose this lifestyle, I knew it would be harder on my mind than it would be on my body, but I chose it anyway. Because I wanted to stay at home and explore the different options of life than the usual Mom and Dad works outside and leaves at 7am and comes home at 7pm. (No judgement there, I just feel that that kind of lifestyle is not for me)
To begin with, I’m not an OC mom. I can live with the dishes in the sink for a day and the dogs fur on the sofa, with the cat poo smell softly lingering in the background. But I didn’t think it would be this hard to maintain my sanity.
Sometimes I get to a point when I realize that I just try to get through the motions and life is passing me by. I do my stuff, cook, teach my kids, do the house chores but in a state of mind that always always thinking of the next task, the next thing to do. And as a mom, I know I’m not alone in this.
I knew I needed something simple and easy to pull me back to the present and be “present”.
Here are three simple ways to relax and be present:
1. Have a ritual.
Find your pleasure and make a ritual out of it. Whether buying coffee, a new shampoo, or walking in the park, find something that makes you happy enough to trigger you into presence. Make it into several steps in order to savor the experience. When doing your ritual, remind yourself to pause, even for just a second, and re ground yourself.
2. The afternoon habit
This ritual is perfect for being “present”. Get into the habit of stopping whatever you are doing once a day (I do it in the afternoon when I’m more likely to be stressing about something) and maybe go for a short walk or simply sit at your desk. Take deep breaths, listen and quiet your mind from whatever worries you might have. Observe your surroundings and note 9 things. What do you notice around you?
If you always forget, set alarms on your cellphone with a trigger word like, calm, relax, mindful, or present. Doing this exercise helps you to get present in your environment and helps to relax and focus your mind.
Once I was in the car, I got this message that says PRESENT. I looked out the window and decided to really look in the world that was passing by. It was like I was watching an MTV video (yeah, I know, I’m old!). It went into a slo-mo black and white and I swear I can see people laughing, kids playing, trees swaying. It was awesome.
3. Tune into pleasure.
I mentioned finding pleasure and making a ritual out it. Most of the time being relaxed and present requires tuning in to your senses.
I recently got into Young Living Essentials, being an oil and aromatherapy aficionado and this is one of my pleasure avenue. I’m just so addicted to oils! Yesterday, I made a foot soak and it was so relaxing and pleasurable that I forgot I have 3 deadlines today. Lol.
It’s so easy to create an experience at home, but because moms are so busy, we often forget about self care and relaxation. How can you experience more relaxation in your home?
#Disclaimer: While I am affiliated with Young Living and will earn if you use my link, you are not required to use it in order to enjoy the benefits of this article. Go ahead and use Johnson’s baby oil if that’s what you have at home! (Of course, if you’re gonna ask me about it, Young Living Oils is the best because unlike Johnson’s baby oil, they are pure, organic and not mixed with synthetic oils but that’s for another topic!)
