E-Zine

Invest In A Relationship With Yourself

Everyone knows that for any relationship to work, you have to pay attention to it. I am sure you have heard a few too many times that having date nights with your partner will keep the spark alive in your marriage. And you know for certain that time with your children has a big payoff – they feel more secure, perhaps are calmer after some great mommy time.

But what about you? What about your relationship with yourself? I know it sounds strange to be in relationship with yourself, but really, it is like any other. When you are not investing in a relationship with yourself, you lose connection to your wants, needs, and feelings. You lose connection with your inner guidance and intuition. You lose connection with your dreams and passions. 
 
Without that investment, you may find yourself with low enthusiasm, too much stress, annoyed and resentful more than you want. You may not really know who you are anymore because the changes in your life since having children has you reeling. So, what can you do about it. 
 
Journal. Yes, journaling is one of the best ways I know of to help you reconnect with yourself. Journaling means you are having a conversation with yourself. It means you are listening to yourself. It means you are paying attention to yourself. It feeds your soul. Try these ideas for your journaling:
 
Write about your feelings: Keep a log about how you are feeling. Notice if there are any patterns that may point out something that needs to change. Maybe you have an energy plunge at 10 am every day. You might not notice that until you write it down. Is it related to what you eat or don’t eat for breakfast?
 
Write about your wins: What did you do today that you feel good about? What’s going well? You may feel like you’re not doing enough or handling things well. But if you look at the positive actions you’ve taken, it all adds up to help you to feel better about yourself.
 
Write about yourself: Ask yourself questions as if you were developing a new relationship. What have been your top 5 movies these last few years? Why? What was so special to you about them? What do you like to read? What’s your favorite color, tv show, restaurant? If you won millions in a lottery, what would you do with the money? Learning about who you are in small ways, leads to knowing yourself in bigger ways. 
 
Make friends with yourself. Spend a little time getting to know you. It is one of the best investments you will ever make. You’ll end up with a pal for life! 
 
Written by Lisa Garber