Busy Through the Mental Fog

As a mom, especially a single mom, most days are hectic. With young children, our days are filled with chauffeuring from school, sports, and various events. Mornings are like a marathon and we’re just trying to get out the door with everything and everyone in tow. We jump in the car, pop the mirror down to confirm if our hair and make-up are presentable. Now the second leg of the marathon begins, the necessary but dreaded school car line. After all that rushing, we’re forced to sit patiently and wait for our child’s drop-off turn. We watch the clock, ten and sometimes fifteen minutes, roll by. We made it halfway through. Now we’re at work. For some of us, this is when we take a deep breath and change the pace of our day.

Now that you are on the clock, have you checked your SMS messages? The acronym SMS stands for short messaging service but not in this case. I want to know if you have checked your sanity and mental state. Have you checked on you? All too often we completely turn off the short messages our mind and body are sending us. Ignoring the physical fatigue we are feeling and doing what we think is expected. In short: Pushing through it. Keeping ourselves busy through the mental fog so we can get through the next project or just get that one last thing done.

 

Are You Checking Your SMS?

What if I told you that according to CDC.gov, strokes are the third leading cause of death among black women? That confusion and fatigue is one of the many signs of high blood pressure, according to WebMD. So I ask again, my sister, are you checking your SMS? These feelings to maintain, regardless of how we feel mentally, are deep-seated in our spirit. As women, we often feel the need or placed in a position to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We have coined the phrase ‘super woman’ as a badge of honor. Come here for a minute sis, let me whisper this small secret into your ear: It is not. Don’t get caught up in the hype. We are simply human, like everyone else around us. Give yourself the space to be exhausted, stressed, mentally fatigued, and anything else you feel within you. Once we put down the badge of honor, others will have to realize that we have limits too. Don’t wait until your health takes a major hit, to press pause. Press it now and assess your sanity and mental state.

 

Regardless of where you are now on learning to press pause, it is not too late. You can start today. I urge you to start right now. Being a mother, especially a single mother, requires that we keep all the wheels spinning, all the parts moving as smooth as possible. At times, we forget to consider the most intricate part of the system: Ourselves. If we break down, the entire system we have worked so hard to build will come to a screeching halt. Don’t assume that you can serve those around you from an empty platter. Stop and take the time to fill your own mental, emotional, and physical tray. With that being said, what are you going to do to refill you.

Self-Care Tips

We all have heard the phrase self-care, especially now that it is becoming more popular. Here are a few self-care items you can easily incorporate into your day:

• Try to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep nightly. This may mean changing your evening and night routine, but it’s worth it. Getting an adequate amount of sleep regularly can improve your heart, increase your memory, lower stress, and grant many other benefits.
• Include at least 15 to 20 minutes of exercise daily. This could be a brisk walk or simply doing jumping jacks in your living room.
• Have a cup of hot tea. According to PIHHealth.org,  whether you enjoy the flavors of peppermint, chamomile, or green tea, just stopping to have a cup could benefit you. Certain teas have benefits to lower cholesterol, improve digestion, strengthen the immune system, and prevent colds.

  

The list goes on and on. Just remember, no matter what you choose for self care, choosing to skip it should not be a choice. You owe it to yourself to pause, read your SMS message and reply to your sanity and mental state.