It’s not easy living with a constant slewing of snack crumbs, tupperware lids, and half chewed board books all over the floor. Raising small people is messy. That’s the flat out truth. It’s chaos. As parents if we are not careful, it could wear on our psyche and bring on a sudden death to our well being and general happiness. Ok, that’s an exaggeration, but there is a fine line.
So what’s the logical thing to do?
Yes, install child locks or teach our kids to put stuff away. Trust me, I tried all the things. Creating order, boundaries, and structure became my mission. I even made up songs to sing so cleaning was more fun for my kids, but secretly I just wished I was Mary Poppins.
I would choose her super powers over Wonder Woman every single day.
But what if I told you that creating better order within your home, heart, and psyche starts when you make your own bed?
It’s not about your kids learning the Pick Up song. It starts with you, and it can be as simple as committing to make your bed everyday. If that’s not possible because, let’s say, you have a daily dance party with the littles on your bed every morning therefore defeating the purpose of making the bed in the first place, then choose a different task to be your focus.
When you find your one thing – the bed, kitchen counters, bathroom sink – anything that you can focus your deep desire for control on, you will in fact find more clarity.
It’s the peace of mind in knowing that that one thing is taken care of, accomplished and in order that frees up your mind to take in and process more of the world around you. It’s no longer burdening to you, but instead it’s aiding in your sense of well-being similar to checking things off a to-do list. This small daily triumph will boost your mood and give you a sense that you can accomplish things in life even on a few hours of sleep.
Who’s Wonder Woman now?
Gaining this clarity will make all other decisions easier.
Dr. Jordan Peterson, a Canadian clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto says, “It’s true. Your room (bedroom) is an externalization of your mind. To the degree that you’re in your room, the room is you. Clean up your room and then you’ll know what to do next.”
What state of mind are you making your decisions from?
If you feel jumbled and disoriented, don’t stress, and please don’t feel like you’re less than because you feel that way. Just start making your bed, and then you’ll know what to do next. Your clarity will grow as you find freedom through conquering these tangible tasks one at a time.
It’s a process like most things are. So be gracious with yourself.
Photography: Jessica Rockowitz Photography + Film
Jessica is a Boston girl turned Austinite as of 2016. She is a wife to Kyle and mama to Hayley, Colin, and Graham. Though she misses many things about the East Coast, she absolutely cannot complain about the active, taco-infused lifestyle of Texas. She is a former OB/GYN Nurse Educator turned digital media agency owner and lifestyle photographer. When she’s not busy behind the lens, you can catch her caffeinating, desperately trying to find a cheer carpool, and obsessing over microfashion.
