Well, it’s the last week of September. I know, I can hardly believe it myself. The kids have been back to school for almost a whole month already, it’s been back to after school sports/activities and everything else that comes with the hum of your and your family’s everyday life. Are you asking yourself yet, “Where did my September go?” I know I am, and I don’t have a family of my own yet.

Now that I have your attention. Please do the following:
 
Breathe in through your nose and count in your head 1,2,3, 4 ….. as long as you can inhale, then exhale through your mouth and count in your head 1,2,3,4, 5 …. as long as you can until you have exhaled fully. Now repeat this a few times, I usually recommend 5-10 deep breathes. Good, now how do you feel? A little more relaxed? A little less stressed? A little more focused?

Especially now when the world is moving at such a faster pace. Even the big shot movie stars and other celebrities are talking about how they couldn’t be present or function optimally in their day without some sort of mindfulness practice. Now this blog post wasn’t originally going to be about mindfulness or meditation, it was actually supposed to be focused on getting back to school and balancing that routine with your health. However, considering how I too have noticed that September has flown by without having taken enough moments, enough time, to stop and simply breathe and enjoy the beauty of the world around me, I figured there were at least a few others out there feeling similarly to myself. 

Therefore, please, take this as your little hint or reminder to find the moments. The moments when your child just runs up and hugs you spontaneously for no particular reason, the moments when your spouse comes home from work and kisses you and says I love you, the moments when your pet is bounding around like a maniac because they’re overjoyed that you’ve returned from wherever your were. These are the moments that make your life, your life. If we do not observe them, take part in them fully then we are not living, not in the truest sense of the word. Get off the “I’m busy being busy train” with me for a few moments now, and just breathe. Thirty seconds to a minute is all it takes to start cultivating more awareness. You can always grow from there, after all isn’t that what life is all about?

In my practice I work with a lot of women, and many of them are Moms or will soon be Moms. Whether or not this is currently your situation, giving yourself the space and permission to care for yourself is important. There are so many women out there who are running themselves into the ground from exhaustion trying to be ‘superhuman’ or ‘super mom’. Is it any wonder that there are so many Canadians complaining of exhaustion, stress and burn out?

That’s not even including their potential sources of stress outside of work. Ask yourself or just try to imagine it: running a busy household with two or more kids, a husband/partner, and then your work demands on top of that. Is anyone else feel exhausted yet? I know I am and I don’t have a family of my own to care for yet! So why do so many women feel that they have to do it all? That nothing will get done if they don’t do it. That if they take a moment for themselves, they’re being selfish or self-indulgent.

I have these women come into my office with all manner of concerns: anxiety, depression, chronic stress, low energy, fatigue you name it. I can guarantee you all of them have been giving and giving of themselves with absolutely no effort or time being put aside for their own self healing and care. They’re giving everything they have to their various jobs: Mom, working woman, maid, cook, chaufeur, professional hugger, bedtime storyteller, the list goes on!