Anyways... where are the pictures with the greasy messy bun and the baggy sweat pants and the barely put lashes and the phone in hand while laying on the couch, head under the blanket, hiding from the world- and kids..
??
I don't know about you ladies ( and, men, you have hormone cycles, too), but this is an uphill battle for me about 1/4 of every month. But, this isn't the only time I want to shrink away from reality.
Life is hard. Through the hard, we try to enjoy life, have joy in raising kids and being married, earning an income, taking care of our physical, mental, and spiritual health, and look like we are working for a modeling agency at all times.
That is enough to wear any person out. And, when we get worn down, we are more easily discouraged, depressed, worried, defeated, and unmotivated. Here comes the greasy haired couch potato.
So, how can we make it through? How can we push through the times when we lack motivation?
Here are some ideas that get me through:
1. Stick with good habits.
Go to bed on time, wake up on time, and stick to a schedule, even if it doesn't sound fun.
2. Let yourself rest.
I think a lot of times when we feel these low points, it's our body telling us that we need a rest. Let yourself take a 15 minute nap if you cansqueeze it in. Longer than 15 minutes may be discouraging and mess up your sleep cycle later.
3. Get beautified.
I don't mean for you to go spend all your money on getting pampered. You are already beautiful. But, keep taking care of your appearance, even if no one will see you. You will see your own reflection and it will impact your attitude, mood, confidence, and self perception. I don't know about you, but when I feel like I look good, I feel like I am doing a good job with taking care of myself, and then I am motivated to keep working hard. When I look in the mirror and see the bags under my eyes, my dirty sweat pants, and my mascara is only on half of my eye lashes, and my hair is falling out of my messy bun, and I am holding a dirty diaper my thoughts go as follows: what the heck have I done to my life?! I'm such a loser. Ugh I give up. Chocolate.... chocolate sounds good... and there goes the to do list and here comes the regret.
4. Self talk.
Intentionally and either silently or verbally, give yourself a positive self talk. Even if you don't believe it- even if it feels fake... tell yourself that you are doing a great job. That you can do hard things. That you're beautiful. That you're strong. Tell yourself that you ARE. What you want to be.
I have started my girls to tell themselves emphatically in the mirror that they are beautiful. My 2 yr old had no problem with this. My 7 yr old was embarrassed and forced it out through a whisper the first few times. Now, she saying it confidently. Soon, she will believe it.
5. Count your blessings.
Whether you believe in God or another form of higher power or not, count your blessings. Make a list of everything you are grateful for. Start writing down at least one thing you are grateful for every morning.
6. Clean up your surroundings.
You home, your social network, your mind. Simplify. Clean. Simplify. Organize. Clean. This will bring peace to your mind and your soul.
At Black Cap Farm we believe in simple. Quiet your mind my quieting your surroundings.
7. Make a to-do list.
When you have a plan for each day, written out the night before, you can go to bed with a calm mind because you know your purpose for the next day. If it is written down, your mind doesn't have to hold onto it all night. When you're struggling to have the motivation to do anything on your list, put really easy 10 minute items on your list. Things you actually feel like you can do that day. When you see check marks on your list, you will feel success and, whether you consciously know it or not, your brain will register that feeling if success and will have a desire to have that feeling again.
8. Don't be too hard on yourself.
We all have down days. We struggle. We fall. We want to quit. We do quit. We are human. We are not machines and we weren't meant to live like machines. We are, however, expected to try, fall, and try again.
9. Find silence.
Even if you need to get a babysitter, find yourself some quiet time. Leave the phone, leave the music, leave the stress. Let your mind be quiet. Let it breathe. Use deep breathing to relax. Then let your thoughts flow. Let the flow turn into an inner dialogue. Let your thoughts guide you towards figuring out what is causing your rut and what you need to do about it.
Don't give up. Have hope. Serve others. Taje care of yourself. Love yourself. You are doing a great job. Keep trying. You are loved. You are important.
I love you all. Even on your sluggish days.
❤Amy
Amy! This is just the pep talk I needed! Thank you for all your thoughts. I can just imagine those girls telling themselves that they are beautiful. that IS beautiful.
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