I truly envision having my life together, house cleaned, and mental health beautifully pleasant… I just turned 41, and nope, still don’t have any of these things done.

But I’m working on it, and I will keep working on it.

Way back when 2021 began in a very chilly January, I purchased a new day planner. I make notes on my phone, but there is something about writing it down physically that makes me want to do the task. I decided to take it month by month, and work on my messy-mentally exhausted-clutter-bored life.

January was mostly organizing my days. I listed off every room in the house, along with little tasks that needed accomplished. I set aside a shopping day, a cleaning day, a putting away laundry day, and about two weeks in I started failing, and went back to old ways.

February arrived and I decided to shift my attention back to my family and meal preparation. I was back to menu planning, and spent more time in the kitchen than I had ever before. I was going to make breakfast, homemade snacks, bake more bread, take a break from takeout, and make the weekend all about good meals.

I shopped locally, washed so many dishes my fingers cracked and bled, I made snacks from scratch, and homemade pizzas. I made Roasts, Fried Chicken, and so many sides. You know what happened? My family still complained, and I ended up hand washing dishes for at least three hours a day…

Also in February if it could go wrong it did. The pipes froze, and we are still getting damage repaired, depression arrived, and smacked me upside the head. School was closed, and I had a crappy birthday. My car needed repairs, we all needed glasses, seriously it was one thing that costs way too much after another…

Which brings me to March. I know that May is regarded as Mental Health Awareness month, but I needed the help in March, I couldn’t wait until May. I had decided to take the month of March and refocus some of that energy to my mental fitness.

I’m late posting this challenge, because Spring Break happened, and my kids only had like fourteen days of school for the month of March. They are finally back, and I have a moment to sit down and write.

I started off by looking at my weekly schedule. Again I wanted to cut back on take-out, and spend less time and money at the grocery store. I shifted weekends to focusing on making vegan meals for the fridge, and trying out new vegan dishes and baked goods. I still feed everyone else, I just don’t treat every meal as if it was a holiday, and the boys are eating a lot of frozen pizzas, which they seem to enjoy more.

I started focusing on R-E-L-A-X-ing, and actually striving for more than four hours of sleep a night, I really have a nightmare of a sleep schedule. I stopped drinking soda, I started drinking at least 80 oz of water a day, and stopped to rest when I really needed to.

Spending more time cooking ready made vegan meals has really helped. I’m always the last one to eat, and it is nice not having to make something from scratch every day. I didn’t cut back on the take-out as much as I wanted to, seriously these teenagers of mine never stop eating…

The month is almost over, and I have done a little better. I have spent more time outdoors working on the garden, and I’ve gotten back into reading, and crafts. I take breaks, and don’t kick myself for actually resting.

I’m still tired, and my body aches a lot, but it is better.

Now if we can just get the house sorted out, and repairs done quickly… That just might be on my goal list for April.