My husband’s working late, and my toddler’s refusing to eat what I cooked for dinner. My cramps are slowly killing me, and my baby’s “probably teething.” It’s the 218th day of quarantining, and I just can’t seem to make anyone happy. The news is scary, and both girls are crying.
Where am I in each scenario? Resentful. Exhausted. Overwhelmed. Anxious.
While this might be old news to many, I just recently started to recognize the correlation between my mood, my kids’ moods, and my days in general. It’s ironic I’m just now recognizing how significantly my anxiety and negativity can affect my girls. Working in the baby and toddler sleep consulting business, we are always telling our clients to remain calm because babies can pick up on our energy. If we aren’t calm, how can we expect a tiny baby, brand new to this big scary world, to calm down and ease off to sleep?
How can I expect the two little people who depend on me for everything to be happy-go-lucky and entertain themselves when I’m clearly struggling? How can they operate as if nothing is wrong when I’ve already subconsciously set the mood for the entire day?
Undisciplined Thoughts
One of my favorite bloggers shared a quote on Instagram the other day that stopped me in my tracks:
This was my lightbulb moment. As someone who has struggled with anxiety and depression, I often have to make an extra effort to intentionally adjust my outlook. I also tend to use those struggles as an excuse, and I have found myself getting particularly lazy with letting my “undisciplined thoughts” run wild, thanks to the cursed year of 2020.
Sure, I’m stuck at home due to a pandemic…but so are my kids! They might not know what’s going on, but they can absolutely feel the weight of my anxiety, and that’s my fault.
Boring Days Don’t Have to Be Bad Days
We are all allowed to have bad days. Of course we are. I just want to put this recent revelation out into the world to hold myself accountable next time I’m sluggishly getting out of bed, dreading the day because “there’s nothing to do.”
Moving forward, while I know my thoughts might wander to dark places, I’m going to do my best to keep those thoughts from carrying me away. I’m going to pay closer attention.
I recognize that I set the mood for my household, and I won’t take that responsibility lightly. I’m going to wake up and speak the cheesiest of affirmations out into the world, if that’s what it takes.
“Today is going to be a good day.”
Do you have any daily affirmations that have been helpful for you? Please share them in the comments!
