Taking care of yourself is essential

iamjadeline (69)in GEMS • 4 years ago

As a wife and mother, often, I would be busy from morning till night attending to husband's and children's need, first, then my own need, but usually, there is no time left for self-care, especially so during this lockdown time when children always seek for your attention, affirmation, love, support, the list goes on 24/7.

In times like this when everyone is forced to the new norm, we can subconsciously be harbouring some internal stress and pressure unknown. Forced to adapt to new lifestyle, yet still need to be productive, not really have time to ponder and digest what is going on internally. For example, some have to adapt to working from home online. Teachers have to find ways to organise online classroom. Parents are forced to homeschool and work at the same time. Frontliners are forced to be separated from loved ones.

Above all the new adaptation, we are bombarded with numerous posts and stories on social media on people's new discovery, new talent, new recipes, new creativity and productivity. And without knowing it, we may (or may not) feel so unproductive as though we have not achieved anything at the end of the day. I don't mean we will feel that way everyday but maybe sometimes, negativity will creep into our mind. Maybe this never happens to you but...

Well, it happened to me!

Feeling like waking up from the wrong side of bed so...⤵️⤵️

_{Messy hair, messy look, sorry...}

And then lunch time... ⤵️⤵️⤵️

What is that to do with the above photo? Well, when I am feeling little underproductive, I will cook something so fast and so simple so that I get to slow down and relax my mind, sort of to take care myself a little. Spinach soup with minced meat for everyone in the house is my go-to meal to prepare when I am feeling a little 'under the weather'. I was lucky everyone could accept simple meal like this with hearty warm bowl of brown rice. I used to feel extremely guilty if I was not so productive that day but throughout the years I had learned one important thing — that if I was feeling empty, I had nothing left to care and serve others. Therefore, it is of utmost essential to take care of myself before I can be fueled to take care of others again.

Refill the love tank

Usually I have three pointers to refer to know it is time to refill my love tank — when I get easily annoyed, when I get impatience over little things, when I feel unappreciated. I have learned myself throughout the years when I became as such, means it called for some wind down time, a time to care for myself a little. I would declare either super simple meals or non-cooked day so that I get to sit down and read my book or play my keyboard or trim my eyebrows or do a simple facial; choose one and half an hour would be sufficient to fill up my tank.

I could sit there at my living hall watching them play or I gave the boys some screen time while I attend to my own needs. Or daddy came to the rescue while I had some me-time.

They minding their own play while I read my book

They screen time, and me blogging here

They with daddy time, me had me-time playing keyboard

Writing down some thoughts

I love to pen down some thoughts in my very inspirational planner given by my pal (you can see it in the first photo with the spinach soup). Every month, there will be the main theme to motivate you forward. Let me show you the May one, then January to April.