Relaxing
Taking a nice, hot shower is wonderful to me. It helps improve my mood in ways I do not even comprehend. It's like hitting the 'restart' button. It's truly a blessing.
Maybe hot showers aren't your thing, but something else is. My mom loves to have a cup of tea every night. Other people read before falling asleep. All kinds of things work for different people. Find the things that rejuvenate you and make a list to fall back on when times are tough and/or plan to enjoy one at least once a day.
Hobbies
Reading, sewing, crafts, cooking... you name it. Having an activity all your own can give you energy and purpose that help revitalize a weary woman. I've heard that hobbies can be defined as something you seek to learn more about and practice. My mom said she didn't have any hobbies, but my dad said, after hearing this definition and watching her behaviors, that coffees and teas were her hobbies. She learns about them, tries new ones, and just enjoys everything about them. Cooking is most likely my biggest hobby. I am constantly online learning about new recipes. If we subscribed to the food channel I would probably be glued to it. It's getting more and more difficult to squeeze the spices into my spice cabinet and I just can't think of which ones I would get rid of because I love them all!
Another hobby of mine is education. I'm nerdy like that. I love to plan lessons and think of books and things to teach my kids about. I just get giddy and energetic thinking about it.
Education
Self improvement through learning. You can learn about something you need to know, like to know, or something you are passionate about. It can be encouraging to learn new things or it may enable you to do something better. When I was working at schools I used to both love and hate when teachers would say that they wanted to inspire their students to be "lifelong learners." I think I didn't like it because of the subjects they wanted students to learn about were not really worthy of learning. However, learning is something we are meant to do all our lives. The longer I live the more I want to know. Reading, researching, and learning from more experienced people (maybe through relationships or even through taking classes) are great ways to grow and keep yourself motivated to continue giving to others.
These are some of my goals and tricks for taking better care of myself in the new year so that I can give back to my family and others without suffering from burnout (Lord willing). :)
Do you have tricks that help give you a kick start?
I agree that these things are important for a homemaker and mother. Retaining an active interest in lots of things will help us to teach our little ones to love learning and to use the gifts God has given them.
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