Taking Care of Yourself Series ...
I remember a number of years back when one of my kids was very small, I was in the diaper changing / trying to get sleep mode and I felt very stupid and useless. I realized that a part of my problem was that I had significantly slowed down where learning was concerned. I wasn't reading, watching the news, trying new things, etc. I was being a bit of a lump. While that is very understandable in some seasons of life, exercising the brain is a good way to move out of a challenging season and back into feeling fit and alert.
The mind is a precious gift, an absolutely marvelous creation. Studies have shown that exercising your mind is good for your overall brain function and has beneficial effects as you age (gotta create those new synapses).
I encourage you to learn new things. Read a book a month, watch a history series with your husband or kids, visit a local museum, learn a language, etc. These things keep your mind fit and open doors to relationships with other people. You have something to talk about, something to share, something to receive from others, and you get to have a healthy mind too.
Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. Oliver Wendall Holmes
Think generous! Lori <><
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Boy can I relate to that. I stayed home with my daughter for her first 5 years and was LITERALLY a stay-at-home mom because my husband had our one vehicle all day so he could go to work. I did OK for the first 4 years, but started "losing it" after that. I have been to work FT now for five years. I am now "losing it" from working too much. I totally agree with your article, learn new things and grow. Excellent post and thanks for the reminder to do this. :)
ReplyDeleteThis relates to our children also. We homeschool year round and they wonder why they can't play all day. Playing is fine and they get more than their share of play time, but to not pick up a book daily and read for 30 minutes to an hour never hurt anyone.
ReplyDeleteMs Wonka
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome for the reminder. I find that I tend to lean on the excess side of this learning thing and then suffer from information overload. I guess the bottom line I am learning is balance - learn new things but don't let it overshadow everything else.
Moms Web
You are so right. We also homeschool year round and though they play more than their counterparts who are in school all day and still have homework when they get home, my boys sometimes(mostly the younger one) feel that they should be playing all day.