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Solo Parent episodes

January 19, 2020 How To Find Mental Balance
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With all the demands of raising kids on our own with less than optimal resources, money and time it is VERY easy to become mentally overwhelmed. To work towards emotional / mental balance it is important to identify two categories to focus on.
* Things we have control over
* Things we don't have control over
When we face unpleasant situations it is natural to react with anger, worry, fear, anxiety etc. Finding emotional balance helps us to attain flexibility and promotes stabilization between our mind and body. In other words, emotional balance teaches us how to respond to negative emotions and thoughts without just getting stuck in them.
The most important component to mental or emotional health we have complete control over - our perspective. Defining the correct perspective dictates our quality of life and is the root what we model for our kids, of how we communicate and experience every encounter and thought
It starts and ends with this - God is in control - nothing has caught him off guard. We are constantly surprised - He is never. And He can be trusted with wellbeing and our ability to face anything we are facing.
That being, there are things we can do that will bring balance to our emotional / mental state. First, let's identify things that we do have control over. They might be mundane things like - feeding the kids, being fully present, showing up to work, how I speak to my ex , finding community, pausing / meditation and then there are the more internal things like choosing the right perspective, being grateful, giving ourselves grace or pursuing humor.
A recent healthline article offers some different approaches."The less-dominant side of your brain is the area that controls feelings of self-confidence and optimism. When you think about something other than your daily worries, you increase activity in the neural structures of that area of your brain.
Reading - Beyond the mechanics, reading helps you visualize the subject matter on the pages before you, and imagine what voices sound like in the written dialogue. it can stoke the imagination and ignite so many different parts of the brain.
Be positive with yourself Positive affirmation is one avenue to increased mental proficiency.
Play games - Games that test reasoning and other portions of your brain are fun ways to keep your mind sharp. (Even video games)"
Now let's tackle the harder side of mental balance - things we have no control over: That might be our ex's behavior, the complexities of day to day, unexpected issues - kids being sick, people's perception of what caused the divorce or how we are parenting.
Here is what Psychology Today says this about facing things beyond our control. "When you find yourself worrying, take a minute to examine the things you have control over. You can't prevent a storm from coming, but you can prepare for it. You can't control how someone else behaves, but you can control how you react. Recognize that, sometimes, all you can control is your effort and your attitude. When you put your energy into the things you can control, you'll be much more effective."
We have found these questions helpful. When facing things that we may have little or NO control over ask yourself:
What am I actually feeling? anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, or surprise
What can I learn? Prayer - God, what are you teaching me?
Whats the next right thing / response?
What am I grateful for?
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27 min
January 14, 2020PHYSICAL BALANCE MADE SIMPLE
The idea of ‘having balance’ seems impossible as a single parent. Typically our physical needs are at the bottom of the list of priorities. The problem with that is that is not sustainable - and just like a car that we never get serviced or the oil changed, inevitably we will find eventually ourselves in crisis. Small maintenence steps can equal longer, healthier outcomes. Physical balance effects everything else ion our lives - we must move towards wellness before we hit physical crisis.

It's more than just working out or eating right, we want to look at this a little more holistically so we have broken physical balance into 3 very simple categories:
Fuel / What we put in our body

Rest - recharging

Activity
The idea is if we can just start taking even one (or by all means more) simple, proactive steps in each one of these categories we will move towards balance.
Here are some simple ideas to move towards physical balance:
FUEL / WHAT WE PUT IN OUR BODIES
Stay away from late night snack

Drink enough water - It fills you up

Healthy snack on hands - vegetables , hummus, cheese, nuts, fruit

Portable snacks with you - in the car - granola bars

Avoid fast food - make it a reward, not a regular

Cook bulk on weekend and store so you are not tempted to just pick up fast food

Research and take supplements
REST
Nap when kids are napping - even when there are things that need to get done

Turn off screens after nine - again I thought of it as reward to be able to relax (‘my time’) but ended up staying too late

"Your bedroom is a sanctuary, not a family room," says single-parent expert Leah Klungness, Ph.D., who believes single parents should lock the bedroom door, guilt-free. "Once your children are beyond the toddler phase, it is a good idea to get a timer and teach your children to leave you alone for three to five minutes to start with, giving you time to decompress with a quick shower or some breathing exercises."
ACTIVITY
Walking
Find a friend once a week and commit to walk together
Walk on lunch breaks instead of sitting
Plan outdoor activities with kids
Go outside and toss a ball
Go to the park
Join a gym

Get an activity tracker

Let it out!
Let your anger and frustration out - get a punching bag
One popular website talks about creating your own dance party
Crank up the music and move
This not by any means an exhaustive list - In fact, leave comments on other ideas... but, let's all commit to just finding one thing in each category and move towards physical balance. We can at least do that and build from there.
Join our community https://FaceBook.com/SoloParentSociety
25 min
January 13, 2020 PHYSICAL BALANCE MADE SIMPLE
The idea of 'having balance' seems impossible as a single parent. Typically our physical needs are at the bottom of the list of priorities. The problem with that is that is not sustainable - and just like a car that we never get serviced or the oil changed, inevitably we will find eventually ourselves in crisis. Small maintenence steps can equal longer, healthier outcomes. Physical balance effects everything else ion our lives - we must move towards wellness before we hit physical crisis.
It's more than just working out or eating right, we want to look at this a little more holistically so we have broken physical balance into 3 very simple categories:
Fuel / What we put in our body
Rest - recharging
Activity
The idea is if we can just start taking even one (or by all means more) simple, proactive steps in each one of these categories we will move towards balance.
Here are some simple ideas to move towards physical balance:
FUEL / WHAT WE PUT IN OUR BODIES
Stay away from late night snack
Drink enough water - It fills you up
Healthy snack on hands - vegetables , hummus, cheese, nuts, fruit
Portable snacks with you - in the car - granola bars
Avoid fast food - make it a reward, not a regular
Cook bulk on weekend and store so you are not tempted to just pick up fast food
Research and take supplements
REST
Nap when kids are napping - even when there are things that need to get done
Turn off screens after nine - again I thought of it as reward to be able to relax ('my time') but ended up staying too late
"Your bedroom is a sanctuary, not a family room," says single-parent expert Leah Klungness, Ph.D., who believes single parents should lock the bedroom door, guilt-free. "Once your children are beyond the toddler phase, it is a good idea to get a timer and teach your children to leave you alone for three to five minutes to start with, giving you time to decompress with a quick shower or some breathing exercises."
ACTIVITY
Walking
                  Find a friend once a week and commit to walk together
                  Walk on lunch breaks instead of sitting
Plan outdoor activities with kids
                   Go outside and toss a ball
                   Go to the park
Join a gym
Get an activity tracker
Let it out!
                   Let your anger and frustration out - get a punching bag
One popular website talks about creating your own dance party
                  Crank up the music and move
This not by any means an exhaustive list - In fact, leave comments on other ideas... but, let's all commit to just finding one thing in each category and move towards physical balance. We can at least do that and build from there.
Join our community https://FaceBook.com/SoloParentSociety
25 min
January 13, 2020 Physical Balance Made Simple
The idea of ‘having balance’ seems impossible as a single parent. Typically our physical needs are at the bottom of the list of priorities. The problem with that is that is not sustainable - and just like a car that we never get serviced or the oil changed, inevitably we will find eventually ourselves in crisis. Small maintenance steps can equal longer, healthier outcomes. Physical balance effects everything else ion our lives - we must move towards wellness before we hit physical crisis.
25 min
January 13, 2020 Physical Balance Made Simple
The idea of 'having balance' seems impossible as a single parent. Typically our physical needs are at the bottom of the list of priorities. The problem with that is that is not sustainable - and just like a car that we never get serviced or the oil changed, inevitably we will find eventually ourselves in crisis. Small maintenance steps can equal longer, healthier outcomes. Physical balance effects everything else ion our lives - we must move towards wellness before we hit physical crisis.
25 min
January 07, 2020 FINDING BALANCE - Christy Wright
As a single parent, life can seem completely out of balance. Too much of everything else... Not enough of you.
Today - best selling author, certified business coach, speaker, Dave Ramsey personality and daughter of a single mom, Christy Wright walks us through transformational steps we can take to find balance when everything seems out of control. Find out more about Christy here - https://www.businessboutique.com
30 min
January 06, 2020 FINDING BALANCE - Christy Wright
As a single parent, life can seem completely out of balance. Too much of everything else... Not enough of you.
Today - best selling author, certified business coach, speaker, Dave Ramsey personality and daughter of a single mom, Christy Wright walks us through transformational steps we can take to find balance when everything seems out of control. Find out more about Christy here - https://www.businessboutique.com
30 min
October 15, 2019 42. SELF CONFIDENCE
As single parents, we walk around with a lot of wounds. Wounds from things people have said to or about us... in court, in arguments. Not to mention feeling 'less than' as a single parent juggling so many properties alone. Add to that, the voices in our head that remind us of regretful things we might have done. All of this can drain us of a sense of self-confidence. Today hosts Robert Beeson and Kimberley Mitchell discuss the struggle of suffering from a lack of self-confidence and offer a few 'hacks' that helped them walk through feeling the same way.
9 min
October 14, 2019 42. SELF CONFIDENCE
As single parents, we walk around with a lot of wounds. Wounds from things people have said to or about us... in court, in arguments. Not to mention feeling 'less than' as a single parent juggling so many properties alone. Add to that, the voices in our head that remind us of regretful things we might have done. All of this can drain us of a sense of self-confidence. Today hosts Robert Beeson and Kimberley Mitchell discuss the struggle of suffering from a lack of self-confidence and offer a few 'hacks' that helped them walk through feeling the same way.
9 min
October 07, 2019 41. MANAGING FINANCES
As uncomfortable as it can be to talk about it, it is essential to talk about OUR money - (or lack thereof). When we lose our financial partner through a divorce or death, it can feel isolating and overwhelming to figure out our finances alone. Today hosts Robert Beeson, and Marissa Lee discuss Solo Parent hacks related to managing our finances.
8 min