Overall, I am doing well, but holy shit, I still frequently feel like I have hit Sensory Overload. Fighting kids, crying kids, whining kids, annoying YouTube videos being played by said whiny kids… I have to work at staying regulated and calm. (And by “calm,” I don’t mean “the way I feel after a day at the spa.” I am just aiming for “something less than homicidal.”)

These are the things that keep me feeling “something less than homicidal”:

• Cleaning and tidying the house. Only in small increments. I am not aiming for a house worthy of a magazine photo spread. But it is very satisfying to clean up small zones. I especially love the way I feel after giving the bathrooms a good scrubbing.
• Decluttering feels even more cathartic than cleaning.
• I like to move it, move it. (Sorry, not sorry.) My feelings get trapped in my body and when I take a walk or stretch, I release some of the emotional overload.
• Dancing is also great with some upbeat music. Music is the fastest way to change my mood.
• Talking to My People on the phone. A good phone call is really cathartic.
• Also texting with My People.
• Words With Friends! My sister suggested this yesterday, and it is a nice distraction.
• Posting a photo with a caption on Instagram.
• Journaling.
• Working on my fantasy novel.
• Blogging!
• Reading fun books.
• But also reading books that are inspiring. I am currently rereading The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
• Reading to my kids. This is good for the kids and me.
• Listening to podcasts. Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us has been especially helpful.
• Knitting and cross-stitch.
• Making art with the kids.
• Small bursts of meditation. I often do this with the Calm App but today I actually busted out my Tibetan singing bowl for five minutes and that was very therapeutic.
• Staying away from the news!
• Showering! Nathan gets me a big gift basket from Lush every year for Christmas, and I am usually pretty stingy with the products to make them last all year. Not this year! I am using every fancy bath product I have and reveling in the simple joy of a well-made shower gel.
• Getting outside as much as possible. We are on the penultimate day of a big rain system. This is the fourth day of rain? I just discussed with Nathan and we are both getting so hazy on the passage of time. But let’s say it’s the fourth day of rain. ANYWAY I have still managed to take my walk outside every day, even though I had to walk in the rain several times, and I have forced the kids outside as much as possible. Life will be easier when we get some better weather.
• Getting out for little outings like: groceries! The Starbucks drive-through! And the McDonald’s drive through! And that’s it!
• Gardening, even just watering the house plants. We are going to make planters out of milk cartons and egg cartons before this adventure is over.
• Baking with my kids. We made chocolate chip cookies yesterday. We will probably make banana bread tomorrow.
• Reading the prayers from Tosha Silver’s magnificent book Change Me Prayers.
• Just taking a quiet moment to breathe.
• Writing lists of all the things that make me feel grateful.

Just writing this list was a very calming exercise. I was feeling a bit depleted and weary, and it was inspiring to remember all the tools I have to boost my mood. And these days, I will take any inspiration I can get!