Home Grown Relaxation

Life, not unlike the seasons, is an ever changing thing.  It seems like it will be one way forever and then suddenly it's not.  I've seen a lot of changes to my way of life in the last few years, but one that continues to amuse me is the change in my role at home.  There's been a real shift in the way I feel when I'm at home.  

I spent ten years as a stay at home mom and I considered my home to be my workplace.  I watched a number of my friends who transitioned from the workplace to the home go through a depression.  They felt isolated and lost and bored.  They crawled into their pajamas and some of them never came out.  In order to stave off that mentality and to keep up my energy for working in my home at tasks which, let's face it, never end, I made myself follow a routine each morning.  

The first thing I did was get up and exercise.  I read somewhere that one should wait 20 to 30 minutes after exercising before eating anything if weight loss or weight maintenance is the goal.  So, right after my workout, I showered and then spent some time quietly reading and re-hydrating.  By the time those things were done, it was time for breakfast.  All of this may sound like a run of the mill morning schedule, but here's where the mental gymnastics come in to play.  Even though I was staying at home, I made a commitment to get dressed in something nice and do my make up and hair everyday in the same way that I did when I worked a professional job away from my home.  

That was my mental cue to get to work and I did everyday, rain, shine or illness I educated my children, cooked no less than three meals from scratch, and kept everything neat and organized.  It wasn't because I loved doing those things, but rather because I loved the people for whom I was doing them and I wanted the task of being in charge of those things so that I could be sure they would be done the way I wanted them done.  

Life has changed since then and I am no longer at stay at home anything.  I work, my children go to school, and we have a myriad of activities in between that keep us away.  When we are home, I am no longer solely responsible for the cleaning and cooking and that's more than OK with me (can I get an amen!).  I'm exhausted at the end of my day and not up to the double duty.   It's time my children lent a hand and learned how to cook a few meals and properly do their laundry and dishes, which they do even though it comes with a lot (A LOT) of complaining.  Since my role has changed, I no longer need all those mental tricks to motivate me.  When I'm home I get to kick back and relax.  

I still don't stay in my pajamas all day long; I still put on something nice, but I do get comfortable with tasteful loungewear sets.  I have several loungewear sets that make me feel cozy and fashionable and ready for anything the day might bring.  FemmeLuxe has a lot of great styles of loungewear sets to choose from and they're all quite stylish but this Lexi set in Rust caught my eye because I adore this autumn color and the flowy hoodie and relaxed fit joggers give me that soothed energy.  It instantly has me thinking of fall and cool days under the changing leaves.  

That doesn't mean I'll be saving it for autumn though.  I'll be out enjoying the scenery right now with all the wild sunflowers in bloom who like me intend to soak in as much sunshine and summer as we can while it lasts.  Now that my home is my home and not my job anymore I make it my purpose to make each of my days off less stressful, less busy, and a lot more zen and it's been going so well so far that I think I can keep this peaceful momentum going...at least....until school starts.

Shopping Info:  Rust With White Stripe Lounge Wear Set - Lexi from FemmeLuxeFinery.co.uk