FOR THE STRUGGLING MAMA

I could have also titled this post: Dear Struggling Mama, How to get through Today without Day Care or Alcohol.

I kid, I kid. 

But really.

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I know how this feels.

I know how it feels to feel slumpy and no matter how hard you try, you don’t feel like you’re getting anywhere…in your homeschool, or organization attempts, or a whole list of other things.

Struggling, to me, means that it feels like you’re dealing with the same issues over and over and over and nothing is getting better.

This may or may not be actually true though. Our outlook could have something to do with the weather, the season we’re in, or lots of other reasons.

But the reason doesn’t always matter. What matters in the moment is that we’re struggling.

 

When you just can’t shake the blues

I’m writing this as a mama who has struggled, and is struggling with a few things that feel like they’re never going to go away.

So, know I’m not writing this at anyone. I’m writing it to you and to myself.

I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression in the past set on by SADD, by babies, and by situations that just wouldn’t change.

One thing I’ve learned from struggling is that it’s never been insurmountable.

It feels like it.

It feels like you’ll never be your same old self again.

But that’s not true.

The times that I’ve struggled, I’ve always come through the fire…a little stronger, a lot more aware of my own emotional health and the importance of taking care of myself better.

Make a better choice

In those seasons when I’ve felt like I would never be able to shake the blues, I’ve had to learn the hard way to choose the better thing.

Eating the turkey with a cheese stick rather than the brownie.

Going to bed at night instead of catching a second wind and watching reruns of Unsolved Mysteries.

Staying off social media for a day (or days) instead of getting sucked into a perpetual hole of happy people unknowingly making me feel even worse.

You know what I’m saying, right? 

On those hard days, I have learned a few tricks. And you might want to put a few up your sleeves too. (I’ll be sharing these tomorrow.)

Making even one small constructive choice can change the course of a whole day. And one day can lead to another good day.

And another.

And eventually, the color comes back into your cheeks, your steps feel a bit more springy, and you notice that the sun has peeked out from behind the clouds.

You’re not the only struggling mama

Listen, I know how this feels.

Chances are, every single one of us have gone through a period of depression.

It’s all gonna be ok.

I’ll see you back here tomorrow with some tips that have helped me struggle less, when I was in a hard place.

See you then….