This is the second installment in my mini series, Healthy Mama – catch the first here! In these few posts I’m chattin’ all about being well in mind, body and spirit. I truly believe it is essential that a mama take care of herself in order to effectively and meaningfully care for her family. Can I get an amen?
Some might argue that our spirit is the power house spurring on all we do. But after thinking through how I function I’m pretty sure that my mind is the driving force and my spirit is more like the well that feeds it.
My mind is where I think and plan and work towards completing projects. It’s what keeps me up at night, making lists and double checking details. It can become overwhelming, always having racing thoughts … what’s for dinner, do I need to shop for it, what stage is the laundry in, did I dry that one shirt with the stain on it, what time was that appointment again, is there time to meet that deadline, where is Jemma going to college, small group is at our house this week, how can I go about saving for a Disneyland trip, do I have time to hang that new picture, will we adopt someday … and on and on. Sometimes it’s deep and long term planning, sometimes it’s menial. Either way, my mind is the power house behind it all.
So how does this play into wellness? The mind births our actions and feeds our spirit. It affects everything for the good or the bad. Which is why, for me, being well in mind starts with what I put into it. I need positivity, inspiration and encouragement. I want good things to come out of my mind, so I need to focus on putting good things in. Tangibly, it looks like this:
- No TV shows or reading that plant fears and worries – that’s right, I’ve closed the door on my former love of murder mysteries. They just aren’t a part of my wellness plan.
- Removing toxic people from my life and social media feeds – I don’t need to relish in whining and discontentment, I have to fight that off within myself enough as it is.
- Collecting inspirational quotes to reflect on. Long before Pinterest I kept a scrapbook journal of beautiful magazine clippings and quotes I loved. Now, many of them are here.
- Choosing to start over when I stumble or feel down – and knowing that I don’t have to wait until the next day for that new beginning.
- Surrounding myself with people who I trust and regularly use words of encouragement.
- Compartmentalizing ideas into what I can control versus what I can’t control.
To be well in mind I also need to allow myself time to pause and reflect. I don’t get a lot of quiet (what mama does?) so this needed calm is usually reserved for a hot bubble bath. There, I’m able to go numb and let my spirit and dreams rise so I can begin processing them. I’ll save more of that for my wellness post about spirit though :) I can’t wait to share how I regularly discover my dreams and move them towards reality.
What do you do to keep your mind well?
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I've been spending less and less time on my personal facebook page, and I feel like it has been helping me keep my mind well by keeping my focus. I may even move my instagram over to my blog facebook. Reading, resting, plenty of sleep are all so important to my well being.
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