Even When Busy, I Take Care of My Own Mood: Three Things I Keep in Mind

Are there days when you find yourself getting frustrated with your children?
I, too, have moments almost every day where I think, "I'm sorry."
When I'm busy, I lose my composure and end up speaking in a harsh tone or interacting with a grumpy expression.
Even though I reflect on it later, I repeat the same mistakes... I used to feel down about myself because of that.

And so, I started to consciously focus on taking care of my own mood before worrying about the children
.

When I smile, my children naturally smile too. Conversely, when I am on edge, my children also look anxious. In other words, my state of mind is being transmitted to the entire family.

Three things I keep in mind

The first is to actively do things I enjoy.
If I keep suppressing myself by saying, "Because I'm a mom" or "Because I'm a parent," it might lead to a victim mentality of "I can't do what I like because I have children."

Even if it's just for a few minutes, reading a book, drinking coffee, or breathing in the outside air.
Just incorporating a little bit of what you love can shift your mood.

Getting at least 7 hours of sleep

Lack of sleep wears down both the mind and body, and is a cause of frustration.
In my case, when my sleep time fell below 7 hours, fatigue would accumulate and I would find myself getting frustrated more often.

I often want to stay up late, but I have come to think of sleeping as the best investment to help my future self the next day.

Don't neglect meals even when busy

Previously, I would settle for simple meals to save time.
When going to work, I would pack a lunch consisting of rice, a can of mackerel, and broccoli—simple things that didn't take time.

Because preparing meals didn't take time, I could spend more time reading or writing.
However, as I continued to eat simple meals, my heart gradually began to feel desolate.

Eating was just as important a pleasure for me as reading or writing.

I felt that sacrificing one thing I love to do another was not good for my mental health.

Now, I try to enjoy my meals with small efforts, such as "adding one favorite ingredient" or "trying a recipe I've been wanting to make."

Taking care of yourself is taking care of your family

Through these efforts, I gradually gained more peace of mind. While the days when I get frustrated with my children haven't dropped to zero, having the means to reset myself provides a sense of security.

Treating yourself with care is not selfish. Rather, it is the foundation for cherishing your children and husband. If I smile, my family can smile with peace of mind. I believe that this chain reaction makes life peaceful.

I also use writing to settle my mind.
I recently published a book summarizing my note-taking techniques.
You can read it for free if you have Kindle Unlimited.
I would be happy if you could read it during your time off.

Thank you very much for reading this far.
May your day be a wonderful one.