Five Mommy Must Haves

I keep up a pretty hectic pace most of the time.  I try to really take good care of myself, but sometimes I let myself slide...don't we all?  As soon as I stop doing the right things, though, I start paying for it.  I get worn out, stressed out, sick, and exhausted.  I've found five things that I absolutely have to keep balanced in my life if I'm going to manage to get through my days in one piece...

1. Daily quiet time

I started to get really stressed out about some relatively small things this week, and I wondered what was wrong.  Suddenly it dawned on me...I wasn't doing my daily quiet time for Bible study and prayer.  My quiet time is my lifeline!  It keeps me grounded and sane, and it gives me the strength to get through each day.

My resource page lists some great places to find daily devotionals and Bible study tools.  I also use a prayer journal, and I am really trying to focus on incorporating Bible memorization into my time.  I plan on posting about both of those subjects soon.

2. A workout routine

Yes, I work at a gym, but that doesn't make it easy for me to work out!  We stay pretty busy, so it's hard for me to squeeze in time for my workouts - but I'm trying really hard to get back on track.  This week I did four workouts, and what a difference it has made!  I feel so much better and I have so much energy.

Find what works for you.  Whether its walking, running, or going to the gym, take take out 3 to 4 days a week to take care of yourself.  It's not being selfish - you can't take care of others if you're not taking care of yourself first!

3. A food diary

Food diaries aren't just for dieters!  I've found that I am much more health concious and make better food choices if I'm keeping track of it.  Use a food diary that you can carry everywhere with you, such as a small notebook.  My current favorite is an app for my Droid X phone that lets me track my food and workouts, automatically calculating my nutritional information, such as vitamins, as well.

4. A place to vent

Go out with friends.  Keep a journal.  Blog.  Find a mommy support group.  Wherever you go, you have to have a place to vent without fear of what someone will say.  No matter how much you love your life, you're going to get mad, stressed, and upset at times, and sometimes all you need to do to feel better is to talk about it and let it all out.

5. Good planning

The most important part of keeping things together is planning.  Plan, plan, plan!  Plan your schedule, your meals for the week, your shopping list, your cleaning - if you have a plan in place, life is so much easier!  Nothing is more stressful than running around madly at the last minute, or worse, forgetting something completely.  Trust me, I speak from experience here.  Plan your work and work your plan, and life will flow smoothly...and even when it doesn't, you'll have a backup plan in place!