Hurry up, relax!

Painting my nails is probably one of the most mindful tasks I occasionally indulge in...because with wet fingernails, you cant do. You can only be. I am forever doing, and sometimes I forget how good it feels to just be. I've been practicing the art of mindfulness (more on this later) as much as I can lately, and it really is a challenge. Sometimes I need to make a conscious effort to schedule in my mindfulness, other times it just finds me. Like, when I'm painting my nails in a rare child-free house.

I don't know about you, but when I have a few moments to myself without children around, I become a flustered mess. How much can I possibly fit in the two hours or so? How many jobs can I get done? how much re-charging can I accomplish? Hurry, hurry, hurry. Hurry up and relax! More often than not, I pass that two hours by buzzing around thinking about what I could be getting done, rushing and forcing relaxation (which really isn't relaxing at all) and doing, doing, doing. I am determined to throw this concept out the door, it really isn't working for me or for my inner calm.

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I came across this quote quite some time ago and every now and then it jingles in the back of my head. We need to stop the glorification of busy. Being busy is sadly far more acceptable in society (especially in the parenting community) than 'just being' is. Yet, I know for me 'just being' often brings the most enjoyable and magical times in my motherhood journey. Surprisingly, they can be the most productive and accomplishing also. The most memorable moments with my children are born from impromptu, spontaneous days and these are often the days I find myself teaching them new things about the world, helping them master a new skill or inspiring new passions within them.

What do you think about the expectations on parents, mothers especially, to be busy and multi-tasking to a comatose state? I get so incredibly angry at the misconceptions our society has created surrounding motherhood and the super-mum phenomenon.

'Just being' is going to be a work-in-progress for me and if I can ensure that every day has a significant chunk of mindfulness involved, I will be one very zen mama! It seems I'm adding to my list of mantra's to live by; Less is more, Everything simplified and Just be.
Plenty of love,