Another month, another block, and another Beyond the Block personal challenge, you guys! I don’t know about you, but for our family, October can get ridiculously busy. We have school and church activities in full swing, sports, family events, work deadlines, and Quilt Market just around the corner…so much going on! So much, that the word “peace” has been on my mind lately. I need some! In these busy times, I really see just how very much I need to carve out more quiet time, more time to be calm, still, relaxed, soothed.
So often, I catch myself considering quiet time a rare luxury- something that’s nice to have, but that I can do without. Anybody with me? As a mom, I’m so often feeling like the real priorities are clean clothes, combed hair, lunches packed, dishes done. But the reality is, some quiet time alone to rest and restore my body and spirit, are just as important, if not more, than my freeze-ahead meal planning or laundry day. I need peace. I need renewal. I need time set aside to calm my mind, otherwise I’m a hot mess and absolutely no good to those around me.
So what does this look like? For me, it looks like a lot of things, and I’m so excited to really focus on making these priorities in my own life. Here are a few ideas for ways to slow down, breathe deeply, and make a little time for peace.
- Get outside and exercise. This week when my husband came home from work one day, I handed him a toddler, kissed him on the cheek, put on my headphones and walked out the door for some desperately needed outdoor exercise. What a perfect time to sing, or to pray, or to just be quiet and listen.
- Take a vacation from social media. I love connecting with friends on Instagram like nobody’s business, but sometimes it’s just time to unplug and take a break. Post a note to friends if you like, to give them notice of your absence, but then shut it down and don’t give it another thought for the day, weekend, even week. Every minute I save from not posting that photo, not writing that comment, not browsing that album, is another minute I can take a deep breath and just enjoy a moment of peace.
- Use music to create a mood. For me, music is so powerful, and it has the ability to literally change my state of mind in a very tangible way. As much as I love singing at the top of my lungs and busting out a new dance move, I also adore those peaceful times where I turn on something mellow- for me this might be classical or religious hymns- and just allow the music to take me to a place of calm.
- Pamper yourself. I never do this! I have such a hard time with guilt and not wanting to spend time or money on anything that isn’t for my family, but a happy mom is a happy family! Dig out those bath salts you’ve been meaning to use for a decade and take a soak! Give yourself a pedicure, or get a massage. (I want one so badly!). I need to stop dreaming about getting one, and actually take the time to do it, remembering that rejuvenating my body and mind are important.
Work is great. Serving others is amazing. But we can’t work or serve effectively if we don’t take time to renew ourselves. I’m learning this the hard way, but I can’t wait to get started in making a change toward more personal renewal. Won’t you join me? What’s your favorite way to unwind? What treat makes you feel brand new? I’d love for you to share about it as we dig in to this month’s challenge together.
XO
Amy, you are amazing! Thank you for sharing. I am trying to make exercise a habit and I love hiking. :)
My favourite way to relax and be peaceful is to quilt! I always feel so refreshed and rejuvenated after a bit of me time at my sewing machine!
First, I want to say I truly believe that Little House on the Prairie is perfect for young girls to read at any age. I read them to my girls. Second as a busy Mom myself, hallelujah!! for 5 minutes of peace. But my true peace is always right before sleep. When everyone is safe at home and my hubs is in bed and my day is complete. I have a sense of right and wonder and can relax and prepare for tomorrow to begin my routine all over again. This weekend I am going to a convent (not to join the nuns, that might be too peaceful:) )I have a quilt retreat at their Center of Renewal! After quiet quilting reflection I will be sufficiently refreshed to come home and enter the chaos of family and life again. To my joys and aggravations and my all encompassing love and life! Peace to you Amy.
I am a psychologist and take care of others as my profession. I quilt to de-stress. I pet my fabric and manage my stash. When the stash got to be too overwhelming, I went on a fabric diet and I’m still on it. I really feels good to lower a box of scraps by 1/2. And I do 1 hr. of Yoga a week, and 2 hrs. of Aerobics a week.
For years and years, my way to distress is to sew or quilt. I give myself options, depending on my mood. I always have a quilt to piece, one on the long arm and one that needs hand work (normally just binding). The relaxation of each is different, I can watch tv and do hand work or machine quilt and be with the family. To sew, it’s just me and the radio or no radio at all.
My favorite way to relax is to take a hot bath with bubbles and candles surrounding the tub. It is the only time no one bothers me. As a working wife and mom I find quilting very relaxing. However, it does not stop the family from interrupting with their ideas of emergencies. LOL. I have 5lb weights that I lift between quilting to relieve the stress of sitting for long periods of time. My son is in cross country running at his high school and sometimes when he has a practice on his own I go out with him. I don’t run I just walk with my head phones on.
Amy, your Beyond the Block essays seem to connect with me at the most perfect time in my life. We are planning a move, and getting everything ready, house for sale, house to move into, etc etc, seems there is little time for ‘peace’ even though it is just myself and my husband. My mind is always busy planning or doing one thing or another. I need to take some time ‘off’ just for myself during this stressful time. May you be blessed with peace often.
I was a mother of three who worked full-time while they were growing up, so I know how hectic it can be. It makes me tired now just thinking about it . . . work, meals, laundry, housework, homework, ferrying the kids here and there. But you do it, you don’t think anything of it because it all has to be done. Then the time comes when the kids are all grown and you have plenty of peace and quiet and, on some days, you wish you could do it all over again.
Amy, your words are wonderful to read. I am at a very stressful point with work and other obligations, and I know I need to find “peace” or I’ll lose it. Thank you for hitting the nail on the head, as always, with your Beyond the Block.
I find that my deep water exercise class at our local Y renews me in body and spirit. I also swim laps and that is more of an introspective renewal than the social renewal of chatting with my friends as we move in the water. My daughter (36 tomorrow) is a yoga instructor and has learned how to meditate as part of her certification. She finds that her Thursday night routine of yoga and then a class on meditation is a wonderful way to finish up the week of caring for her 2 year old daughter. Her husband cares for Margaret that evening and she comes home feeling at peace.
some great advice here Amy, unlike you I have plenty of peace being retired and living on my own life is slow pace now, plenty of time for stitching and thinking maybe sometimes too much time!
I have to own up to not being very active, have had tests as I get very breathless when I walk fortunately heart and lungs are sound so do not know why.
Music too plays a big part as I cannot sing a note myself. The CD I am playing a great deal is Hallelujah which is very moving a mixture of songs, uplifting too. Sorry seemed to have ranted on.All he best with your peaceful times
Yes to all this! I ran a half marathon last weekend in the middle of nowhere Idaho. Rarely got a cell phone signal, so social media was out. Exercise, check – and when I got to the top of that 2.5 mile hill and saw the valley…whoa. I wasn’t running for time, so I could breathe deep and enjoy the pine forests and lake views. And even though it’s hardly peaceful, I love my running music. And a three hour afternoon nap followed by a giant steak dinner and ice cream? Pampered! I’d do the race again in a heartbeat even though my butt still hurts from the hills!
Get that massage! It’ll be worth it, you’ll feel relaxed and refreshed afterwards.
A full-body massage is my idea of a huge pamper!! I like to walk the fields around my house – can’t right now since I tried my wings down a flight of stairs last weekend and I injured my right ankle and left knee…wings didn’t work! Quilting (dancing with my longarm) is also a stress-reliever. Or a long solitary ride on my horse, just walking along enjoying nature on the farm. We need to make time for ourselves to regroup and refill if we can even hope to have something to give to someone else – we don’t go far on empty!
Great message Amy! With busy lives and multi-tasking a must, finding time for ourselves can be a real effort. I love the idea of ditching the social media. I quit FaceBook a couple of years ago (because of their lack of a privacy policy) and discovered I’m really not missing out on anything. I pop in now and again to collect new grandbaby pictures, but otherwise I figured out it was a huge waste of time. I have a 35 minute drive to work so for that hour of the day to work and back, I read a fiction novel when it’s not my turn to drive the carpool. That’s my “me” time where I can ignore the world!
Amy, I accidentally deleted the October block of the month pattern. Could you please resend it to me. I think it went to spam. Thank you
I have to say as others have, go get that massage, you won’t regret it. Unfortunetly I am on 24×7 pain meds. My pain management physician gave me some good advice recently. He said to take 5 minutes everyday to do NOTHING. No music, no tv, no phone, computer, ipad, etc. clear your mind and enjoy each second of those 5 minutes. I cannot say I do it everyday. But I have tried to do so when I think about it. Especially when pain would prefer to take over. I will not let it have me. So those seconds are amazing. Now if I could only add in the exercise.