Poison Ivy and Mental Preparedness

PJ our ball obsessed mut.  He gets out stress by chasing a neon green ball.

Kinda funny title I know but both of which are things that I have been thinking about lately.  One. Nolan has caught his first ever Poison Ivy rash.  He takes after Steve in so many ways but I was really hoping that this was not going to be one of them.  Luckily, spotting the blisters I put them under band-aids (I thought that they were really bad bug bites....never had a poison ivy reaction before), and when Steve came home he quickly identified what they really were.  We have been treating the rash for the majority of last week and now it seems to have healed up.  A relief for us and N.   I'm thinking by the end of this N may not be as excited about band-aids as he once was.

Other than the everyday (and rash battles), we have been getting back to life as it once was.  The last wedding for the family has now passed and baby season is about to start, and I am starting to see that "down time" is what you make it not necessarily a pedicure or "me time" although those are nice.  I was calling a friend at a relatively early time in the morning and found that she was already up and running errands.  When I asked "why?" she said that it helps her "mental health to be able to get out and get things done before nap time."  Even though, I don't plan on waking up early to go grocery shopping anytime soon, it did ask the question, "What am I doing for my mental health?"

I don't know if you are like me in which some days you feel like you can take on the world and others...taking on the kitchen is just BLAH.   So, what if you could tip the balance on World domination days from BLAH days?  What if you could examine your day to days going on and see the pitfalls of a bad day compared to the ups of a good one?   This is what I've seen so far...

• Looking back I noticed that my take on the "good" days normally start off with simple goals, like laundry day or at least one or two tasks that if accomplished I feel that the day is not wasted.  Oh, and getting those tasks done before dinner time feels the best! Then I can just cook, clean a little and enjoy the fruits of labor.  
• "me time" this can be anywhere from exercise to devotion time. It is just a time that I don't have to think about the worries of someone else's life.   Plus, I am not a touchy person (ask anyone who knows me), but having kids it doesn't matter.  A fall needs a hug or a bad dream needs a snuggle; so, it is just nice to sometimes step away from being needed (for only 30min to an hour) and just breath.   Think about the emotions you've been feeling all day or what your hopes are; sometimes you will come back thinking that whatever was "so, important" really is very childish, and then sometimes you come back just knowing how to express what you are feeling to the person who really should know. 
• Sleep and rest.  Being 7 months prego has made this element of mental health much harder to achieve, and I can only guess how it, or lack there of, will effect me when Baby J is born.
• Unplugging myself.  Sometimes a book is better than a blog, and watching my son play games is better than watching Dinosaur Train or even Mythbusters.  It is like being awake and in the moment without it being a chore.  We talk or my mind has time to dream before the next idea pops into it. 

I know there are probably more things than that, that comprise a good mental health regiment.  Plus, just like each person has different love languages I'm sure that each person also has a different way of feeling mentally ready for life.  What are somethings that you have found through the years to help you better enjoy your day to day life?