“Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Aveeno through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Aveeno all opinions are my own”
This year I feel like I have been spending a lot more time reflecting on life itself and finding my center. Life sometimes gets so busy, I find I’m stretching myself too thin and not enjoying everything as much as I should. Often, it is my kids that remind me to just have fun or that the little things don’t really matter.
It’s easy for them to say something or react to my action in a way that snaps me back into reality. The last few months I have been putting forth the efforts to focus a little more on myself and looking back, I have learned a lot since turning thirty and since becoming a mom.
10 Things I Have Learned About Myself
1. Being busy is actually a good thing. As compared 5-10 years ago, I am extremely busy and always on the go. I don’t really have ‘down time’. I am always trying to figure out how to schedule things in and manage all areas of my family’s life. It wasn’t until recently; I finally stopped looking at it as a hassle, but more as a blessing. Those activities and things that keep us busy is what keep me and my family happy.
2. Waking up early isn’t a bad thing. I remember when I was a teenager; my mom would often be waking up as I was going to sleep late. I thought she was crazy. Why get up at 4am? Now I get it. A few months ago I realized that is my most productive time and allows for alone time. By the time the family wakes up, I am in a great mood from all I finished and have more time to spend with them and not on chores or work.
3. Worrying is a time waster. I am still working on this one. I can always find something to worry about. ‘How many times did I already do that?’ ‘Will my mom like the gift I gave her?’ ‘Did I lock the front door before I got into bed?’ ‘Did I send that email this morning?’ I spend more time worrying and double triple checking everything, it takes away from time I can be accomplishing other things and it gets my mind off track. Especially worrying about things that I cannot control. I am just going my best and letting the rest happen.
4. Keep goals/motivations visually in sight. Motivational quotes are all over my planners, around my desk, on my refrigerator and on my phone. I also have an “I Want That, I’m Getting That” file that includes things I would like in the near future that I am working towards. I wish I paid more attention to goals in my earlier years (not spending time worrying about that though).
5. Find a hobby or passion. I can’t really think of anything I really loved to do as a hobby in my 20s. But once I started taking more pictures and learning about photography, it gave me something to be passionate about and thrive to be better at. Then I started getting back into running again. These hobbies quickly become a way to relief stress and refresh the mind.
6. Doing stuff alone isn’t a bad thing. When I was younger, I would always have a friend go with me just about everywhere. Last year, for the first I had to fly alone for a business trip. I was terrified. However, once I got to the airport, it was relaxing and pretty amazing. Now I prefer to go shopping and other places alone at least once a week.
7. Try new things. When I find something I like, I often don’t try anything similar. It was more comforting knowing what to expect. However, I have learned to try new things at least once. It’s fun, spontaneous, and never too late to find something you love.
8. My body imperfections aren’t an issue. Before having kids, I wore a size 0. I took being small for granted. Once I had three kids in 3 years, my body was nowhere near the same. From varicose veins, wide hips, and a totally different body shape, I took it pretty hard. Last summer I started wearing more dresses again. This year I have finally decided it’s okay to wear shorts.
Over the weekend I was trying on summer cloths and my 3 year old was with me. I had a summer dress on and talking down on myself in my head as I looked in the mirror. My three year old said “Mom, you look beautiful. Get that one.” It was that moment that I realized all the little things I nitpick myself about don’t matter. Why spend time worrying about how my body has changed (see #3 above)?
9. Always make time to take care of yourself. As a mom of three, my kids are often my main focus. I spend my time planning their activities, doing things with them, making sure they are fed and clean. After a few years, I realized I have to spend at least 15-30 minutes each day to care for myself. It’s not about finding time, it’s about making time. Whether it is taking a mental break, reading a book, taking a long shower, or going for a run, making me-time is necessary to keep my sanity.
This also includes taking care of my skin. I used to talk myself into crawling right into bed after a long busy day, blowing off the need to wash my face. It was a silly mistake. I would wake up feeling worse than I did when I went to bed. To eliminate this issue, I started using makeup removing wipes. It only takes a minute or two to gently wipe off all the makeup, oil, and dirt. AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® MAKEUP REMOVING WIPES may be gentle, but they are also effective in removing waterproof mascara.
When I was in my 20s, I never left the house without at least mascara on. Now, I don’t care if I have makeup on. I will use AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® MAKEUP REMOVING WIPES in the middle of the day sometimes just get a fresh, luminous look and not look dull or tired. This leads into the last, most important part.
10. Be confident. This one kind of wraps everything up into one. No matter what I am doing, learning, teaching my kids, confidence is important. If I feel good about myself and what I am doing, things seem to have a better outcome. I am left with feeling amazing and I know my fun, crazy, busy life is full of beautiful imperfections, and I am okay with that.