One thing about becoming a more “seasoned” parent I never fully appreciated is the bigger the kids, the bigger the problems. In addition to my taxi driver/carpool duties, I’m a collector of my kids’ emotional “garbage”. My garbage collection shift begins at 3:30 everyday and starts with the seemingly innocuous question, “How was your day?” What flows from there can range anywhere from a barely audible acknowledgement to an indignant run down of all the grievances that were put upon the child in the eight hours since we parted ways in the morning.
For a mom, day after day of collecting emotional junk from your people builds up and can take a toll on your own psychological well being. For some of us that increases our own anxiety. At a minimum, it adds to the feeling of carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Add in the additional stressors of the holiday season: hosting and preparing meals for large family gatherings, handling additional emotional baggage from extended family, and shopping for holiday gifts — well, that’s enough to put any mom over the edge. I’ve come to rely on a few uplifting resources to keep a positive mindset. When I’m feeling positive I’m better able to help my people navigate their troubles. Perhaps they will help you through this holiday season and whatever stress it may bring.
“Real meditation doesn’t look anything like the photos you see online of people sitting perfectly erect on cushions in brightly-lit whitewashed rooms or atop Cliffside’s overlooking a ravine. Real meditation happens in living rooms with little people walking around banging on things. It happens in the closet after a fight with your spouse. It happens in the car while parked on a busy street, before going into the bar for drinks with friends . . . Real meditation involves drool, and sleep, and farts, and bizarre thoughts about armadillos. Real meditation is spontaneous and cluttered.”
-Light Watkins
Meditation. For probably the last five years it seems like everywhere I look someone on the internet or on social media is telling me to meditate. Meditation will calm me down, help me move past mental obstacles, and propel me into my higher self! I need all of that s so I started trying to meditate. The problem was I couldn’t tell if I was doing it right. Then I discovered Light Watkins, an inspirational speaker, author, and meditation guru on Instagram. He helped me understand that meditation doesn’t need to be an elaborate, carefully planned exercise.. It can be and is often quick, messy and full of cluttered disjointed thoughts. That idea is so freeing. I meditate anywhere and everywhere now. You might catch me doing a quick meditation in my car as I wait to pick someone up from an activity.
If you are looking to take a deep dive into meditation, here are some resources to check out and ways to help you get started:
- Headspace
- The Tapping Solution App
- Yogaville
- Ten Percent Happier App
- Calm App
- Spiro Collective
- Guided YouTube Meditations (I usually just enter “guided meditation” and whatever topic I am interested in like anxiety, positive mindset, or competition into the search bar and try out whatever turns up in the results)
- Insight Timer App
Light Watkins produces a daily inspirational email that comes to my inbox everyday by 9 am. I am not exaggerating when I say that I look forward to seeing his email. The messages are always on point and insightful. You can sign up for his daily dose of inspiration here. Also check out his latest book, Knowing Where To Look.
Here are some other great books and authors to check out:
- The Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle)
- The Hidden Life of Trees (Peter Wohlleben)
- The Power of Moments (Chip Heath)
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