A Journey to a Self-Caring Life

Happy 2019, y’all! I know it’s been a minute since I’ve shared on the blog, and I’m sorry for it...life has been a little nuts, a lot confusing, and totally chaotic at times! But I’m back, regularly. 

I was lucky enough to stumble across a Mom Blog Challenge hosted by a rad woman named Bonnie that I had just happened to come across on Instagram somehow. It’s introduced me to a group of badass moms who write and have so much knowledge it kills me. 

So, this month, our topic was self care. The first thing that came to mind was “dang, that blog of mine is not that far back in sequential order...” (read it here:  https://azamoralife.blogspot.com/2018/06/take-care-of-you.html), but then I realized that in the last few months and for these first 26 days of 2019, I’ve been caring for myself in a huge way...

Since our big move this summer, we’ve really been focused on living a more minimal life—which as it turns out has meant a more meaningful, sustainable, earth-respecting, lower stress life. For us, “less is more” really rings true. 

So...how does this relate to my self care?

The simplicity that downsizing, decluttering, organizing, and limiting unnecessary purchases has brought...it’s completely transformed how I’ve been able to live day to day. 

I spend so much less time picking up and putting away and panicking about what I won’t get done. I no longer buy things just to buy things and then feel suffocated underneath the clutter I’ve brought into our space. I don’t have anxiety over the mountain of laundry I’ve been avoiding...because we got rid of the unnecessary overage of clothes our entire family had, and now not only can I not allow it to get out of hand if i want the girls to have clean pants, but I actually enjoy laundry day because it’s not overwhelming. 

The most important change it’s brought is that I have more TIME—with the girls, more family time, and (drumroll please) more ME time! (See, I told you this would get back to self care!!)

Honestly, simplifying not only lifted the anxiety and stress I wasn’t even aware was dictating so many of my actions and decisions during the day, but it also freed the time for me to read books, to exercise regularly, to meditate, to make good food for the family and myself, etc. And truly, I feel like a much more PRESENT member of our family...for my daughters, my husband, and I live with more intention in how I want to move throughout our home as a mother. Bringing presence AND intention into our home, as a byproduct of moving lots of materials possessions out, has so drastically improved my quality of life. 

I know this is a little off the beaten path of “self care for mothers,” but I truly believe there is so much to be said about making things easier for mamas who already have so much to do and consider and remember and God knows what else! 

I do plan to share more about this journey and how we did it, what we did, how we maintain it, and our reasoning for it all. But for now, I thought it’d be great to start with the emotional benefit I’ve gained in this roundabout act of self care. 

With all that being said...

If the thought of doing any of the things I talked about sounds like just way too much, here are some quicker and easier options: meditate (even 10 minutes...look up “guided meditations” on YouTube if you don’t know where to start!), take a shower instead of completing some chore you’re supposed to get done, order the bigger coffee, if you can pull it off book a massage or a pedicure, nap with the baby, eat some ice cream, or get a quick workout in!  Anything that makes you feel more like YOU is a good option. 

As always, thanks for taking the time to read this interweb journal of mine. I hope it helps or sparks a thought in you in some way. ✨