Help
With Your Rule
Finding Personal Time
Dear Holly,
I am struggling with finding some "my time" and some ideas of what to do to fill that time. I have currently 4 children under age 5. I thank God that my husband is very supportive of me doing something to fill the "my time" slot. The only drawback is that financially right now, we cannot afford anything- I can't believe the prices! The other obstacle is that I only have a weekend nights open and free right now. Do you have any ideas of what I can do? I would preferably like a sport outlet to release tension and stress. Also, something that I can completely not focus on what I need to do at home. I have tried walking (I can't run b/c of my asthma) but that is too quiet for me, I hear over and over in my head the children's songs that we listen to all day long. Trips to the library are cheap but once again are too quiet! Please help- this mom needs an escape so I can come back a better well-rounded mom!
Labels: 2nd P Person
posted by Holly at 4:10 PM
7 Comments:
Hmmm... I usually don't have much problem finding things to do! heh heh... I used to blast my Steven Curtis Chapman CDs very loud and sing at the top of my lungs for 30 minutes on the way to town! :-) That usually cleared my head. And also, I would save a couple of bucks and go to a Used Book store, and spend another hour with my head bent sideways lookin gat book titles - all to get my mind off those nagging little thoughts and ToDo lists... I even used to go to my computer and play Solitaire - straight and hard - for 20 minutes to 're-organize my brain molecules'! :-)
I think the key is to find something which mentally distracts you - maybe even more than sports. You can get your exercise with your children dancing to Aerobics videos - but perhaps even just a good night out with a friend every week? Or a church course in something like Theology of the Body? Or a Moms group? Or a lecture series at a close university? Or a prayer group at church? Something to get your MIND free might just be more in line with what you are looking for, and not cost much either.
Peace. Just a thought - if you live close to a big bookstore (like Books a Million or Barnes and Noble) those are nice in that they are fun places to browse, have coffee/dessert, and are not the same atmosphere as a Quiet Library. You can even use the headphones in their music section to sample CDs. I don't live near one, but sure wish I did!!
Namaste,
Lisa
Do you have any tennis courts near? Even a gentle, noncompetitive volley with a friend is a good tension release. Or a place to rent a raquetball court for an hour? The athletic field house at a university or the city rec center usually have some. This is great during the winter. How about using the practice greens at the golf course to chip and putt? I can't afford to pay greens fees every week and golf a round, but sometimes I just putt around at the practice greens for a while and no one has ever minded. Maybe a swim at the indoor pool?
Anne-Marie emailed me and asked me to put this comment on as she couldn't get Blogger to accept her post, so here it is:
Could you ride a bicycle? A used one can be very cheap--in our town, I see them in the classifieds for $30 or so. It's less boring and more invigorating than walking, but still manageable for asthmatics.
Also relatively cheap, though not free, are courses at community centers or community colleges. Some universities also have non-credit courses that are
more intellectually oriented.
Or perhaps you could hang up a flyer at your church or library looking for other mums in your situation; if you had a walking buddy, conversation could block out the sounds of the children's music!
(Thanks Anne-Marie!)
I'm a new visitor to this site, but I was thinking about this question. All of the suggestions seem great. Additionally, I was thinking that it may just take some practice for this mom to get her mind off her daily responsibilities for a while. Don't get down on yourself for thinking about those things, but realize that as you begin to order your life and your mind, you will find your mind more free to let go of your persistent thoughts and relax.
Kim
Good ideas, ladies. I especially like the Kim's reminder that we have to train ourselves to learn to use the Me Time.
How about a class at Home Depot or Michael's or something along those lines. They're usually cheap.
Maybe there are some little old ladies who get together weekly for knitting or mahjong or binge drinking. (Just kidding on that last one...but the image of a bunch of little old ladies knocking back a few does crack me up!)
Hi! I just started walking again. My latest baby is now 4 months. I have been listening to Kimberly Hahn's Bible Study of MORL on CD during my walks with a CD walkman. I don't want to stop walking until I have listened to a whole CD and the time flies! I figure when I am done with the 12 CD's, I might check out some books on CD. God bless!
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