I have two kids, 5 and almost 2. I’ve been feeling pretty burned out lately, between WOH FT and the relentlessness of life with two young kids. We don’t have much of a village so “me time” is hard to come by.
How do you get out of a funk?
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I need to know the answer to this question as well.
I have a brief trip plannned for next month. I’m going solo, to meet a friend and relax for a couple of days. Even just knowing it’s coming up is making by me feel somewhat better, so I’d like to try to make this a recurring thing.
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Following closely! Baby is waking me up every day at 6am and fighting all naps and my two boys are fighting constantly and acting like spoiled little brats. Also the weather is cold and dreary and it feels like we are constantly trapped in the house. I feel like I’m in a permanent cranky mood right now.
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@polkaspots: I think this happens to everyone from time to time. I try to find little ways to build in stuff that helps me feel like I am doing a little self care. This includes for me:
-listening to podcasts or watching silly tv once the kids are in bed while I do all.the.things in the evening (pack lunches, do dishes, fold laundry, clean up). I am still doing the work but I am also doing something for me
-beer and M&M’s at this same time or after
-pedicure
-read on the couch for 20 minutes after all the things are done for down time
-if DH is home, leaving after bedtime to go to target for an errand but wandering a little in the processSometimes a gratitude journal or process can help me focus on the positive. I try to find the things I enjoy most about my kids even when they are at their most ridiculous. Sometimes changing my perspective makes the same situation feel better. Be kind to yourself too.
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I often leave the house for an hour after the kids are in bed. I might run errands or what not, but leaving the house and being alone helps (I’m an introvert).
I’ve made it a goal to work out 3 times a week. I feel way calmer since doing this in January.
I often skip eating dinner with my family (I sit with them) and take a minute to cook myself something I personally want to eat and savor it alone while DH bathes the kids and keeps them upstairs.
I have increasingly simplified family dinners. I implemented this chip and dip bowl that has a lid. I keep cut fruit and different t veg in it and throw on pepperoni, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, or even nuts and throw it on the table at every meal. Dinner might be pasta and sauce or just some rotisserie chicken or a quesadilla but the platter means there’s a balanced meal on the table. I also then have components for the kids lunches, which I pack while I get dinner on the table.
I buy myself something at least once a month that just makes me happy or will make my life easier. Doesn’t have to be expensive but it’s the act of telling myself I matter that counts.
DH and I try to meet for a lunch date weekly.
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I try to clean the house. I hate cleaning, but I always find that having a tidy home really increases my happiness. I also try to declutter, so I feel less overwhelmed by stuff.
I pick one of my discarded hobbies back up, like learning the harp or practicing French on duolingo.
I take a long bubble bath with my favorite music or an audio book.
I plan a trip in the weekend to somewhere outdoors as a family (hike, strawberry picking, the lake, a picnic, etc.).
I plan some self care time before bed, putting on a facial mask, exfoliating my feet, deep conditioning my hair, etc.
Last night, I watched a YouTube video where someone cut their own hair, so I did that. Not sure I recommend being that spontaneous, but it actually worked out great for me. And I felt so much lighter afterwards.
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@gingerbebe: sounds like you have it down, one thing that helps me is talking to friends about their non-kid related problems.... a friend who's looking for a job, for example. Taking walks in the sun (or around the grocery store) is nice too... good luck, I always really enjoy your posts and comments, I hope your "funk" is short-lived, I know we all get there
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I find cooking relaxing - it's kind of a creative thing and it becomes my "me time" some days. Only if DH is willing to keep the kids off my back, though - it's not relaxing at all when they set up a racetrack right where I'm working, or start "helping" while I'm handling raw meat.
Also crafting. It makes a world of difference for my happiness day to day. I've only started having time for it once my youngest turned two and dialed back on bedtime craziness, and I don't squeeze it in every day, but still... even a couple nights a week is nice.
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