I hope your summer is off to a great start! Up here in Michigan, it’s finally getting a bit warmer during the day but the nights are still cool.
I always love the fresh, new feeling summer brings. There’s almost a bit of excitement and anticipation of good things to come. Don’t you just love the warm breeze and bright sunlight?
However, this year I’ve been fighting the blues quite a bit. I have bouts of depression from time to time, and anxiety issues will creep in, but for the past few months, there’s just been an overall “down” feeling. I don’t know how else to describe it except for the blues.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Living with #chronicillness is a constant struggle. How will you help yourself this summer?” quote=”Living with chronic illness is a constant struggle. How will you help yourself this summer?” theme=”style2″]
It means always keeping an ear open for the latest research, supplements, foods, and exercises that can help lessen our symptoms. But it also means exercising some self-discipline in certain areas where we can help ourselves.
I narrowed it down to three areas to focus on this week.
For my heart
The first thing I did was to sign up for the daily devotional from She Reads Truth. I’ve really enjoyed the series they just did on the Fruit of the Spirit. Staying in God’s word daily is better than anything else we can do for ourselves.
For my health
Now that the weather is warmer I’m jumping at the chance to do something for myself that will help me fight off these blue-zy days.
For Mother’s Day, I asked for a garden. Just a small one. Something that will get me outside in the sun each day for at least a minute or two. Something to focus on and look forward to.
I’ve never had a garden so this is all new to me. It’s allowing me to start a new board on Pinterest (and who doesn’t enjoy a bit of Pinterest time when you’re not feeling well?)
Still needs work and stepping stones – but the plants are in!
For the home
I also have a huge confession to make. My house is A MESS! Not like a hoarder kind of a mess but more like a too much clutter kind of a mess.
Now here’s the keeping-it-real pic….
Yep, that’s my kitchen sink and that’s how it usually looks.
We’ve lived in this house for 3 years now and it’s time to declutter and claim my “home sweet home”. We moved from a house that was twice this size so I could be able to stay home. It was the best decision for our family and for my health. But a smaller home means less space for stuff. We got rid of quite a bit before the move but I was surprised at just how quickly this house filled to overflowing once we were all moved in.
I’ve set two housekeeping goals for the week. The first is an idea I got from …… – each night the dishwasher will get turned on right before I go to bed and in the morning I’ll empty it (or delegate that duty if I’m not up to it). This trick is supposed to magically keep your kitchen clean because the dishwasher is empty in the morning and ready to take on the day’s dishes. I’ll let you know how it goes!
My second goal is to throw away or set aside to donate at least two items each day. We have to get this house in control and the only way that’s going to happen is to declutter FIRST! I’ve been following the blog becomingminimalist.com and I’m learning quite a bit about minimal living. It’s time to give it a try in my tiny house. I’ll keep you posted!
So what are you up to this summer? Can you think of something to help yourself this summer?
