I’m finally sitting down to write this post — 3 days later than I intended — and tonight was a difficult night. It started well: I threw together some Crock Pot Teriyaki pork chops for the little one and myself. Our little bird ate an entire pork chop, then asked for more! She cleared her plate, put her dishes in the dishwasher. She just turned two, so needless to say, I was one proud mama.
Her bedtime routine went off without a hitch. Then came bedtime. My smart, sensitive girl became willful and defiant. We were both so desperately tired. When she finally fell asleep (an hour later), I cried. The ugly tears. The ones you can’t stop, even if you want to. And I felt alone.
If being an oilfield wife has taught me anything, it’s this: I can be independent and self-sufficient; I also need to ask for help sometimes. Or, at the very least, help myself so I can be the best version of myself.
Here are 5 of my tried-and-true ways for improving the is-this-hitch-over-yet blues:
- Music therapy. During the day, my go-to is to stream K-LOVE Radio online. A little perspective, some Bible, and Mandisa always gets Maile dancing! Other favorites include Jack Johnson and Zee Avi to set a mellow mood, and The Civil Wars, and Florence and the Machine for something melancholy, but energizing.
- Prayer. General, specific, doesn’t matter. Sometimes, I just need the Lord to intercede for me.
- Phoning a friend. (Texting counts, too.) Talking or texting it out might be just what you need to cool down. I am so fortunate to have family and friends who, though far away, will drop what they’re doing to chat, listen, and offer words of wisdom, comfort, and advice. Often, through them I realize that whatever is going on will end with the day, and that, as one of my favorite fictional characters said, “Tomorrow is a new day, with no mistakes in it yet.”
- Ditching technology. All of our gadgets and social media networks are wonderful in so many ways, but they can also be draining, even mind-numbing. It does a lot for me to pile everything on the desk for an afternoon, and just ignore it. Go on a walk, and play outside. Garden (the above photo is of my delphinium). Read storybooks for an hour. Build elaborate train track courses. Eat ice cream. When I come back to my phone and computer in the evening, usually I’m surprised by how much I didn’t miss — not the other way around. Things like Facebook have created this sense of urgency in everything; it does wonders for my mood to sloooooow the day down.
- Yoga. My favorite short videos can be found here. Nine minutes, before bed. It’s impossible to go to bed angry, after practicing yoga. Plus, you’ll sleep better … promise!
What do you do, when you feel like you’re about to lose your cool? Share with us, in the comments below, or snap a photo of your favorite free therapy, and tag me on Instagram!
Don’t wanna miss a thing? Subscribe to Real Oilfield Wives here!
Join the Real Oilfield Wives Community!