A return to gratitude

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Being back in the real world after my ah-MAZE-ing trip to see my menfolk has been a little difficult to re-adjust to, and I have once again found myself treading down that well-worn path to "The Blues"...

I had a counselling session today, and at the end my counsellor set me homework: to spend 10-minutes EVERYDAY for the next week doing something to look after myself. It could be a walk, a meditation, sitting in silence, anything. I just have to do whatever I need for ME in that 10-minutes.

She has no idea how much I need to do just that.... Well, she probably does, seeing as she's my counsellor, but you know what I mean :)

But it made me realise that self-care has been so low on my list of priorities; like most mothers, my days seem to revolve around making sure that the kids (and husband!) are dressed/fed/bathed/happy/entertained/etc... I have almost no regard (or time!) for my own needs.

But she has given me permission to look after myself, and to be ok with it.

One of the things I have let slide of the last few months has been my gratitude journal - I've not written in it since the beginning of the year, which is pretty sucky when I know that I have so much that I am grateful for, and the fact that counting my gratitudes at the end of the day is a major tool in my arsenal against depression.

As I refuse to continue down the path of bleakness, I need to restock my well of happy-ness and remind myself of all the wonderful things I have in my everyday life.

So tomorrow I am going to restart my Gratitude Project for the month of April. At the end of the day I will post a snapshot of my day, my thoughts and feelings, and the three things I am grateful for.

I will also post a visulal of some of the things that I am grateful for to my Instagram too.

Feel free to join in my Gratitude Project here, or on FB or Instagram, and use #MTWGratitudeProject so I can see what things or moments brighten your day!