Where is your happy place? Where do you go to gain peace? To enhance your energy? To unleash your creativity? As parents, we need a place where we can take a break, get centered, and refuel. Yet many of us neglect to make time in our busy lives for this important place.
Julie’s happy place is on the ice with of her women’s hockey team. When she straps on her gear and ties up her skates, she moves into a different zone with no thoughts about groceries for dinner, deadlines for work, or a messy house. She is focused only on the game at hand.
Being on the team with other mothers gives Julie a place where she can be “Julie the adult” rather than “Julie the mom”. She loves the opportunity to bond with her teammates around something other than playdates, car pools, or parenting chatter. Racing across the ice with other skaters fills her with a different type of energy. This energy continues to fuel her when she is away from the rink.
Carolyn spends Wednesday nights in a large messy basement with seven other women. It is her craft group, mothers who find solace working with their hands. There is a large center table with scissors, tape, glue sticks, and markers in every imaginable color. There are shelves with bins full of yarn, ribbon, buttons, and beads. There is a corner with gloves, drop cloths, bubble wrap, and “tile nippers” for breaking china plates. Creating mosaics is Carolyn’s craft of choice. Demolishing plates (flea market finds) to create mirrors and pots fuels her creativity. You can imagine what smashing plates does for her stress level! Other members of the group engage in scrapbooking, card design, sewing projects, and a variety of colorful DIY endeavors.
This messy basement, buzzing with activity and laughter, provides solace for Carolyn. She has a few hours to forego the needs of her family and focus solely on her own interests. Some weeks it’s difficult to discern if her interest is the mosaic project or the connection with other crafty moms. Carolyn LOVES Wednesday nights!
My happy place is the yoga studio. It started in a small storefront with my friend Gemma. I had zero yoga experience, yet felt safe going to Gemma’s class and soon became more comfortable with the poses and practice. As the benefits of yoga began to seep into my mind, body, and spirit, yoga gained prominence in my weekly routine. Yoga offers stillness and quiet (often difficult to find in my home with three boys). It provides a mental break and a physical workout at the same time. As a busy parent, I appreciate the efficiency! Yoga is a gift I give myself and the benefits are immeasurable.
Perhaps you are a member of a book group, choir, or garden club; or maybe it is hockey, crafts, or yoga that fuels you. Wherever your happy place is, -- be intentional about creating space for it. Honor your need to care for yourself. Put it on your calendar. The time you create for yourself is important for the health of your mind, body, and spirit. It is a gift you give yourself, and a gift that also benefits your family.
Julie’s happy place is on the ice with of her women’s hockey team. When she straps on her gear and ties up her skates, she moves into a different zone with no thoughts about groceries for dinner, deadlines for work, or a messy house. She is focused only on the game at hand.
Being on the team with other mothers gives Julie a place where she can be “Julie the adult” rather than “Julie the mom”. She loves the opportunity to bond with her teammates around something other than playdates, car pools, or parenting chatter. Racing across the ice with other skaters fills her with a different type of energy. This energy continues to fuel her when she is away from the rink.
Carolyn spends Wednesday nights in a large messy basement with seven other women. It is her craft group, mothers who find solace working with their hands. There is a large center table with scissors, tape, glue sticks, and markers in every imaginable color. There are shelves with bins full of yarn, ribbon, buttons, and beads. There is a corner with gloves, drop cloths, bubble wrap, and “tile nippers” for breaking china plates. Creating mosaics is Carolyn’s craft of choice. Demolishing plates (flea market finds) to create mirrors and pots fuels her creativity. You can imagine what smashing plates does for her stress level! Other members of the group engage in scrapbooking, card design, sewing projects, and a variety of colorful DIY endeavors.
This messy basement, buzzing with activity and laughter, provides solace for Carolyn. She has a few hours to forego the needs of her family and focus solely on her own interests. Some weeks it’s difficult to discern if her interest is the mosaic project or the connection with other crafty moms. Carolyn LOVES Wednesday nights!
My happy place is the yoga studio. It started in a small storefront with my friend Gemma. I had zero yoga experience, yet felt safe going to Gemma’s class and soon became more comfortable with the poses and practice. As the benefits of yoga began to seep into my mind, body, and spirit, yoga gained prominence in my weekly routine. Yoga offers stillness and quiet (often difficult to find in my home with three boys). It provides a mental break and a physical workout at the same time. As a busy parent, I appreciate the efficiency! Yoga is a gift I give myself and the benefits are immeasurable.
Perhaps you are a member of a book group, choir, or garden club; or maybe it is hockey, crafts, or yoga that fuels you. Wherever your happy place is, -- be intentional about creating space for it. Honor your need to care for yourself. Put it on your calendar. The time you create for yourself is important for the health of your mind, body, and spirit. It is a gift you give yourself, and a gift that also benefits your family.