Enjoy this week’s Smart Reads and post a comment if something moves you!
๐ Awareness ๐ก Home ๐ Productivity ๐ฅ Wellness ๐ง Growth ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ง Family
๐ โThereโs a reason they call it a happy medium.โ โSuddenly, today, I panicked about life inching back toward โnormal,โโ Ramshaw writes. โI donโt want to travel endlessly for work. I donโt want my weekends to be over-committed with activities. I donโt want to miss bedtime with my kid. I donโt want to wear blazers โ or, hell, even shoes.โ Read Momโs tweet perfectly captures the dread of returning to โnormalโ after the pandemic
๐ง๐ฝโโ๏ธ Youโre not alone. “And for many stressed-out moms, one of the first things to fall by the wayside over the past year has been their friendships โ at a time when women are in desperate need of that emotional lifeline.” Read Moms Have Held Everything Together This Past Year, Except Their Friendships
๐ก Well, this hits home! A hotline for moms to vent? Yes, please! Warning: this unique mixed-media article contains audio with adult language. Read/listen to The Primal Scream: Americaโs Mothers are in Crisis
๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ โHow to practice kindness, compassion and patience as we return to โnormalโ.โ “Parents have been doing a nearly impossible thing โ parenting young children is challenging under the best of circumstances, and the past year has been really, really hard. Here are some thoughts on recovery and reentry.” Read 8 Tips for Post-Pandemic Parenting
๐ฅ Anxiety is real! Thereโs no shame in getting help. “If you have had to go on anxiety medication during the pandemic, I want you to know youโre not alone. Unfortunately, when it comes to mental health medication, thereโs still a lot of stigma. Despite what others might say, there is no shame in taking anxiety medication.” Read Please Donโt Let Anyone โPill Shameโ You If You Need Anxiety Meds During COVID-19
๐ Learn to say NO. Stop managing your time and start managing your energy. “Saying yes to someone because you don’t want to disappoint them is the surest way to disappoint yourself.” Read How to Say No When Youโre Used to People-Pleasing