Hey you, how are you feeling today? Is your busy "must do" schedule dominating your life? Well your not alone! Most of us moms spend the majority of our time taking care of other people. We have our checklist for our spouses, kids, relatives, friends or pets, but we don't include ourselves on this list. I guess we forgot that there should be a box for ourselves. Funny oversight right? So let's turn this around and check in with ourselves starting today, yes don't wait until tomorrow, start today! Did you know that making yourself a higher priority could boost your mood? Self pampering can make us feel like we matter. When most people think of pampering they imagine a bubble bath, a day at the spa or maybe even a good workout. These techniques are effective, but not solely tapping into our needs. Pampering also comes in the form of taking care of our personal business. When we prioritize our lives we essentially are cuddling our inner psyche, thus resulting in a mood boost! So the next time you are feeling weighed down by the world, try some of these mood boosters to improve your sense of worth:
Meditate:
Start your day with a daily meditation. State what you'd like your day to look like.... If you have a few goals in mind for the day, specify what they are so you can commit to them. One source of stress stems from procrastination or from items on lists that remain pending. So knock out those items so they are no longer hanging over your head. Do the things you like the least, first, this way you don't have to think about them.
Note: if you are unable to meditate at home in the morning due to schedule restraints; take a 10 minute break at work and find a quiet meditative spot (the bathroom is a good source for privacy).
Organize:
After you've meditated, prioritize your task. Don't just write down what you need to do. Put a number next to the task. Strategically plan out your day. Doing this allows you to pencil in time for the things you enjoy:)
Manage your money:
When we take control of our finances we automatically put ourselves in the driver's seat of our lives. Our money is the foundation of our livelihood. Mismanaging our funds can add to stress and of course unnecessary debt. The anecdote is to plan ahead by creating a realistic financial budget. Allocate funds for each area: Bills, savings,emergency fund, spending and vacation. Seeing where our money is going can actually help us to find dollars we never thought existed. For instance, packing a breakfast, lunch and a snack can save us up to $20 a day! That is $100 a week, and up to $400 a month. Think of it this way, this $400 can pay your car note!
Hobbies:
I can not stress enough on how important it is to keep your hobbies and never neglect them. Our hobbies feed our inner spirit and are indispensable outlets. Whether your hobby is as simply as reading suspense thrillers, drawing, painting, or creating family photo galleries; they are important because they make us feel good and may even relax us. So go ahead take that trip to the art supply store on your next day off and stock up on some apparatus for your next project. Your safe to
stock up as long as it is within your budget!
So I hope these tips will prove helpful in boosting your mood. Remember you have to take the first step though!
Aniyah
"Tips for moms on looking good on the outside and feeling good inside!"
I know most of us panic when the temperature starts rising
in late spring. The layers start to come off and we are afraid that
we aren't ready to show some skin! We think, yikes another summer where I have to squeeze into those shorts, expose my arms and toss the hot and clingy Spanx !
Here are some tips so you can bare it all with confidence this summer season:
Step 1: Don't be so hard on yourself. We are usually the ones who confirm what our flaws are. The rest of the world probably doesn't notice that birthmark you dread about, which is located slightly beneath your left calf.
Step 2: Make a list of the things you feel you can realistically and comfortably change about your appearance. Be realistic, because
you probably don't have the budget for the cosmetic surgery that
your more affluent peers can afford. The alternative is to work with what you have!
-A new hair cut or color can take years off of your face!
-Adding some brighter colors to your wardrobe can set a different mood (do a google search on colors that work for your particular skin tone)
-Invest in a waist clinching belt. Accentuating your waist can give the appearance of significant weight loss.
Step 3: If your not the traditional workout type, think of alternatives to hitting the gym:
-If you commute on the bus, get off a few stops sooner than your normal route. Try to get in at least a 20 minute power walk (don't forget your walking shoes!).
-If you drive to work, park a few blocks further away from the job,
so you can get a quick power walk each morning.
-Join a hiking group (there are hundreds of hiking meet-up groups on the Internet).
-Purchase a few dance or exercise DVDs so you can work off some pounds during your own leisure time.
Step 4: Take inventory of what is in your closet that you feel flatters your figure and keep those key items!
Rule to remember: Accentuate the parts you like and negate the parts you don't. A good way to do this is; if you like the top part of your body, wear brighter colors in this area. If you aren't comfortable with your bottom half, wear darker colors to play this area down. Sometimes it is as simple as fooling the eye!
I hope these tips come in handy so you can bare it all! LOL....
Aniyah
" Tips for moms on looking good on the outside and feeling good inside"
