Alone

Alone time is a great and terrible thing. When you have none of it, it is the greatest gift there can be! When you have nothing but alone time, it can be the most awful thing there is. It's all about balance.

I have found as a stay-at-home mom that my balance definitely tilts when it comes to alone time. I have very little of it!! It so happens that I'm a person who does not require a lot of alone time. To be honest, I become easily depressed and unhappy when given more than a small amount of alone time. But I need some. I think it's evident to most people that if you are lacking something in your life (or someone?) the need becomes evident and strong. It's like when your body is lacking in some kind of vitamin, or in protein, or anything. It craves what it needs. I think our minds do the same thing. We just have to be aware of it, and be open to the signs. And ask for what we need! It's easy to ignore our own needs and become imbalanced, which results in resentment, anger, depression, ... general unhappiness. It's just presented differently. If you eat too much of something your body doesn't need, it shows. It may take time, but it shows. The body gets too heavy, or too thin, or sick. Or the organs malfunction. Etc. If the mind doesn't get the proper balance, it may also take time, but it shows, too. But we take our time responding to these needs. Many of us do. And why? I guess we're so caught up in our lives that we fail to see the signs. Or we ignore them. Or who knows. 

I guess my point is that in order to reach a happy place, a sense of balance, (which is the point of this blog) it is important to look for, and respond to, these needs. Turn off the noise, get rid of the distractions for a minute. Stop running. And listen. Feel. What do you need? What do you really need? 

Sometimes I don't realize what I need until I have it. Like this morning. I am LOVING the hour of time alone I have had! LOVINGLOVING it! So ... I needed that. 

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My Daily Checklist: (to be updated throughout the day)

Drink water - yes

Name a "happy" moment - Giggling with my son this morning =)

Exercise - 25 min. walking outside =) Wii 15 minute core body workout - ouch!

Enjoy peace - During my walk

Time alone - Yes! I woke up on my own (rare) and got up before the rest of the familys!! (also rare!!) I am enjoying a few minutes by myself reading and having my coffee. =) Turned out to be almost an hour - yeah! 45 min. evening break

Good sleep/rest - 8.25 hours of good sleep

Eat well - coffee, Smart Start cereal with milk, chicken salad w/celery, onion and little mayo. Not such a good eating day for me. It involved Dunkin Donuts. Enough said. =) It started well....

Do something for purge plan - Nope. I'm really failing this month in this area. Tomorrow's another day!!

Leisure activity - I started a night shirt for myself tonight
Get outside - 25 min. walk