Practicing the Loving Kindness exercise seems to have gotten a little easier--not much, but a little. I still struggle a bit with the taking in of the loved one's suffering, but I think that the more I work on it, the easier it will eventually become.
With the assessment, I decided to focus on the biological aspect of my life as the area for improvement. This is because I really don't eat as healthy as I should, or exercise as much as I should. I am also on the go so much with work, school, and kids, that I just don't take time to "stop and smell the roses", so to speak. My psychospiritual self is the area I chose for growth and development.
Some things that I can do to improve in both areas are to write down things that I am eating, to figure out where I'm going wrong with my eating habits, and write healthy menu options for meals for both myself and my family. Now that it's spring, I can start taking daily walks, short ones to start, and work my way up until I can extend the distance. In the psychospiritual area, I can start going back to church on the Sundays that I don't have to work. I can also start praying before I go to bed each night.
Teresa,
ReplyDeleteI am with you, I dont give myself enough credit or time alone, therefore it affects my family because Im just exhausted! With school, husbands, kids, work, it's very hard to juggle them all! THis class has really given me some insight and reflection into treating myself well in order to live a happy life.
Angie H.
From one busy mom to another, AMEN! We really need to find time to make our own lives better-in the end, it trickles down to everyone and everything else:)
ReplyDeleteI have four kids, we homeschool, I'm in school, my kids are involved in everything, I am am the "go to" mom for all of their activities. Team mom, Dojo mom, co-op teacher...I tend to forget about taking care of myself until I hit the wall...Then it's a hard lesson learned.
I started getting my health in order a few months ago-after going down hard with my back. I was in bed for two months, on medication, feeling horrible. I completely let everything go during this time. I ate whatever garbage my fiance brought home, gained ten pounds, could not exercise, lost all muscle tone...My house was a mess, my kid's school work fell slightly behind...it was a mess. I decided that I wasn't going to take it anymore. As soon as I got better-thanks to physical therapy-I HAD to get my life in gear. I started writing down everything I ate, gave up soda and sugary, salty snacks, and started working out. Personally, I'd like to meet Jillian Michaels for an all out smack-fest right now, but I succeeded on that aspect of my life. Using this time to work out and focus on healthy food, however, took away from other things, and I felt mentally exhausted most of the time. My temper was short, I was tired, and my "to do" list was outrageous. I had to slow down a bit and prioritize things. That when I started this class, and was pretty much "forced" into finding some "quiet" time for myself. Now I am feeling more balanced with both physical exercise and mental exercise. I practice loving kindness daily. I am calmer, more thoughtful, more at peace. I find that it touches all around me, and that is a very good thing.
Good for you!!!
Thank you. Have you ever noticed that the minute mom is layed up sick or injured, the house falls apart into total chaos? I got lucky, because my husband and oldest son will at least clean the house for me, if nothing else!.....lol.
DeleteAmen to All,
ReplyDeleteTo put ourselves first is one of the hardest things to do. As I heard someone say before "You cannot give what you don't have within yourself" gee, I think Dr. Phil might have said that or something along the same lines. If we can't take care of ourselves we can't give the proper care to others. On a different note because we are all so busy with work, family, and school--I too could eat healthier than what I do, which would make me healthier and happier. From my bad habits my daughter has developed some of the same actions. My hours have changed from a first shift to a second shift so I do not cook supper anymore but on the weekends, I have tried everything to bringing dinner at my lunch time (3pm), but still haven't found the right times to eat healthy. Any suggestions would be helpful!
Donna
Hi Teresa,I have a hard time with the part of taking in a loved ones pain as well. I guess I don't really understand what it would do for them so it seems a little odd to me. I think that you are on the right track with your diet and exercise. My sister is in the same boat she is trying to get her diet and exercise in line with feeling more healthy. My suggestion to her was get some good running shoes and ease into it so you don't feel overwhelmed and get discouraged. Good luck with everything!!
ReplyDeleteHeidi
I like your steps/goals you mentioned. Being able to take a daily walk is always beneficial, both for body and mind. Also, writing down what you're eating can be very helpful in realizing what you might want to change, or not, etc. These are great things to start improving yourself!!
ReplyDelete