I usually reserve my blog for ideas, tips, and tricks on parenting. However, I realize that there's so much more that goes into being a parent. Every aspect of what I go through on a daily basis leads into the choices that I make as a parent. I thought it would be good to share what I am going through and how I am handling it.
Some days I am a giant ball of anxiety and depression. Those days I don't want to do anything more than curl up on the couch in a hoodie and a fuzzy blanket. These are also the days that I work the hardest at being a mom. I push my feelings and thoughts of negativity aside for them. I think this is where I make a mistake. Yes, it's good for me to push through for the kids and make them my priority. However, if I don't come back and deal with how I am feeling and take care of myself; my depression and anxiety will only get worse. I need to make the time to take care of myself and to work through the things that weigh me down.
As parents, we put so much stress on ourselves. The stress to provide the kids with what they need. The stress to give them a happy life. The stress of giving them enjoyable memories. We spend so much time focusing on what we aren't doing and forget to live in the moment. Later, we stress over not living in the moment. Living each day stressing over the next ruins the experience of living your best life. We spend so much time focusing on making the next day, the next week, the next year better. We forget to enjoy the time that we have.
I've always told my kids to find a positive in every experience. I've told them to enjoy every day for what it is, no matter what happened. While I do believe this for the most part, I think that some days just suck. Those are the days that we struggle to find the positive vibes to push through. We forget our reason and focus on the negativity of the situation. Even though the negative times in our lives push us to work harder, be stronger, and do better. It doesn't make them suck any less.
How do we over come this? How can we make it through the dark times? If there was an easy solution or quick pro tip we would all do it. I survived cancer and went through chemo with less stress, anxiety and depression than I do going through my day to day life. How? By making a plan. By making daily goals that lead to my ultimate goal of going home to my kids and being healthy. By journaling and talking about everything that was stressing me out. Why is that having cancer and going through what's supposed to be hardest battle of my life is easier than the struggles of everyday? It's because cancer has an end game, a plan, set dates and times that every thing is going to happen. If something does go wrong then plan changes and a new plan goes into action.
So, my goal is to do just that. Set goals, dates, and times to achieve what needs to be done. To be realistic in my goals and realize that just like during my battle I will have set backs. I will have to make new plans and adjust. I will have to stop beating myself up over what I can't do or couldn't be done and focus on my end goal. I will have to question my process and journal exactly what works and what doesn't. Keeping myself on track by ensuring that even bad days show us how to get to good ones.
Pain is the road to getting stronger. The ups and downs of life will shape us into who we are supposed to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment