I''ve built a platform based on being strong, practicing kindness, spreading love, and building confidence. But since this election i've been trying to figure out how I feel.
I've been emotionally depleted for the past few days. I've been feeling angry, hurt, paranoid, and betrayed. I've been feeling like i'm surrounded by people who expect me to "get over it",or people who make jokes about it, or people who don't understand why i'm so emotionally invested in it and my anxiety has been through the roof.
As a multi-racial black woman in a relationship with a mexican, raising a multi-racial black daughter, I worry. I worry not only for myself, but for the mental and physical safety of my child, my partner, and our families.
I've been worrying....but then I remember what I stand for; kindness, strength, love, confidence. I remember who I am, who is looking up to me, who i'm inspiring, and I force myself to push forward. Not only for me but for my family and for the young women that write me looking for guidance, I need them to always feel secure and that can't happen if i'm falling apart.
So how do I, as a mother with 9 million other things on my plate, find time to put my self-care first?
I set a routine. I know a lot of us moms think that we don't have time or when we do have the time, we could be getting other "more important" things done with that time. To that I say, making time for yourself IS the most important thing.
I want to share with you all a quick rundown of my morning self-care routine.
1. WAKE UP EARLIER: I generally need to be up at 7:30 to get Jordyn up for school. I tend to wake myself up 30-45 minutes earlier than that so I can have some alone time. It's also really important to be aware of the sounds you have around you while waking up. Some people prefer silence, some prefer music. My alarms are set to a soft bird chirping so it sounds like i'm waking up to birds outside my window, which is calming for me. Experiment with what sounds you enjoy and dislike.
2 HYDRATE: Our bodies just went 8 hours without water, we need to hydrate. ( nothing too cold, as it can shock your system just waking up) I generally keep water by my bedside and reach over for it first thing in the mornings.
3. INDULGE: Coffee is what I look forward to in the mornings, I like to buy the best ingredients for my coffee, drink out of cups that make me happy, and really enjoy and indulge in it. Whatever your morning indulgence is, whether its smoothies, juices, bagels, tea, go for it. Having something you look forward to in the mornings can work wonder for your moods.
4. MORNING READS: I like to put myself in a good mood and remind myself of the things I have to be grateful for by reading daily affirmations. I'm currently reading daily inspirations from Your Best Life Begins Each Morning: Devotions To Start Every Day Of The Year By Joel Osteen.
5. YOGA & MEDITATION: One of the biggest reasons I wake up earlier than Jordyn in the mornings is so that I have time to meditate before the hustle and bustle of the day. A quick stretch and some positive affirmations in the morning are serious mood boosters.
What you don't do in the mornings is just as important as what you do, so here are a few of the things I avoid before i've taken care of myself.
1.MY PHONE: There is no benefit to waking up and scrolling the gram, Facebook, or snapchat. If anything, it'll give you anxiety or FOMO ( fear of missing out) It's so easy to fall into the rabbit hole of social media only to look up and wonder where the time went.
2.EMAILS: Looking at work emails outside of my designated "work email" time can cause anxiety for me and once my anxiety strikes, its there to stay all day, so I wait to read emails until after i've set my tone for the day.
3. TV: Tv is a huge time consumer. One minute you're watching the news, next thing you know its been 4 hours and your watching Judge Mathis ask someone how much drugs he's on in his courtroom. Its something I try to avoid first thing in the morning.
And thats my morning self-care routine. Its quick and simple and to the point. it leaves me refreshed, balanced and energized before I have to get the kiddo up for school.
Xo, Jeanice :)