I woke up this morning and audibly groaned. My son's chatting/whining on the monitor woke me, which is how I wake up every day. It was 6:57 am. Ezra usually sleeps 7pm-7am (except when he's sick) but he is fever free so far today and last night was a normal night. But the exhaustion from dealing with whatever illness he's had for the past 4 days obviously caught up to me. I could barely lift my head off the pillow.
I walked to his room to get him out of his crib, change his diaper, make his breakfast, and get the day started. Being that I'm almost in my third trimester, my body isn't as happy to start moving each morning. My hips hurt, my low back hurt, and my left leg felt like it was going to unhinge and fall off more with each step I took towards his room.
My day was not off to a good start. Not for any particular reason, not because anything bad had happened, but I just didn't want to be up yet! I knew that this attitude that I woke up with could affect my entire day if I let it. It could make me grumpy, make me more irritable, and leave me feeling like I was in a slump. But I chose not to let that happen.
I knew there were things I could do to have a better day that day. It may not always be easy to do them, but they always help me!
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#1: Pray
Thankfully, I can always count on Ezra to take a 2 hour morning nap at the same time each day, and I decided that I was going to nap with him. I knew I absolutely needed more sleep, considering I got maybe 6 hours the night before and was also growing a human. Before I fell asleep, I laid in bed and prayed. I prayed for strength to get all I needed to get done, I prayed for a positive mind, I prayed that I would enjoy the little things, I prayed for encouragement and I prayed for the day to go by quickly. This is the #1 thing that helps me with my day. As soon as I begin to pray, I feel the Lord filling up the room, giving me peace. Whether you usually pray or not, I promise you God hears you when you do. Just give it a try. I pray constantly throughout the day. Whatever I'm doing, if I'm not too focused on a task or am not having a conversation with someone, I'm praying. Either in my mind or out loud. Sometimes I pray for sick friends, for people I know who have needs, for my family and myself, thanking God for all I have, or just having conversation with Jesus.
#2: Rest
If you are able to, take a quick nap. My "quick" nap turned into 2 hours, and after I woke up, Ezra slept another hour (which is rare for him - he must still be fighting off this virus). I know that taking a 2 hour nap each day is not possible for everyone, not even me. But try to squeeze in a 20 minute nap while your kids nap. If you can't nap, just sit on the couch with a blanket and a cup of coffee. Don't think about all the things on your to-do list - they can wait. Just open the curtains, read a devotional, watch the news... whatever. Take time to rest and you'll find you have a burst of energy to get through your day.
#3: Get Moving!
I know I just said to rest. That's important. But I find that if before I sit down in the morning, I unload the dishwasher, start a load of laundry, or do something on my to-do list, I feel much better about sitting down and watching cartoons with my son. Some days, if I sit down, I never want to get back up. Other ways to get moving are to take a walk outside (if this winter would ever end), do some yoga, or go play with your kids in the backyard. We all know exercise releases endorphins which boost your mood. So get moving! Most of the time, the last thing I want to do is start cleaning the house the moment I get up. But it usually helps me get a jump start on my day and I feel more productive. Other times, I really just need to chill in the morning. It all depends on my mood, but both can make my day better.
#4: Drink Water
I try to drink a glass of water before I even have my coffee in the morning. Water hydrates you and gets your body awake and ready for the day. We all know how important drinking water is and some days, this glass of water in the morning is the only water I drink all day! (Hey, it's better than nothing!) I've realized I feel much better by the end of the day if I drink a full gallon of water throughout the day. It's not always easy but I never regret it. It will make your hair and skin look better, too!
#5: Get Dressed
As a stay-at-home-mom, I know how easy it is to just change from pajamas to yoga pants, especially when you're not planning on leaving the house. For me, I feel much better through my day if I do my hair, put on a little makeup, and wear actual clothes. (It's a plus that maternity jeans sort of feel like sweatpants!) Some people are the opposite - they can have a much more relaxing, better day if they just stay in their pj's and don't take the time to get ready. That's not how I function, so getting dressed really helps me feel better all day.
#6: Be Thankful
I have a journal in my night stand that I like to write down things I'm thankful for in. When I'm having a down day, I reference it to remind myself all things I should be thankful for. There's so many things on that list, and I could add so many more! Thank God for what he's given you. Be thankful to the people around you. Reminding yourself of all of your blessings can boost your mood and turn your day around. Some days it's harder than others to find things to be thankful for, but I promise that if you really think, you'll find something to be thankful for.
#7: Choose to Have a Good Day
Things may not be going your way. You may have slept through your alarm only to then realize your child is soaked in pee in their bed. Your car may have broken down on the way to drop your kids off at school. The bills may be piling up with no end in sight. You may be at the end of your rope, just trying to fight through each day. I've been there, especially lately with seasonal depression. But you have the choice to change your attitude towards each day. You can choose to think on positive things even when you're in the midst of chaos. Choose to smile, choose to laugh, choose to be thankful, choose to make today a good day. It can be hard to do, but remember that your situations shouldn't define your happiness. Find the inner joy of the Lord in your spirit, the joy that isn't affected by circumstances.
Have a great day! :)
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