10 Festive Feels

Last night I couldn't sleep, and I found myself up in the dark, laying on the sofa, worrying about things I can't control. I know this isn't good for me, but I also know I'm not alone here.  Although worrying doesn't make us better parents, it's natural and very understandable.

So how do we manage what keeps us awake at night?

People offer different strategies for this, and I've tried most of them. Doing what I can to plan for the future helps me feel more safe and less fearful.  Developing systems to manage the stress of caregiving gives me a sense of security.  But when I can't stop tossing and turning, and I risk waking my husband, I accept the inevitable and get out of bed.  Alas, I sometimes even scroll social media.

Yeah. Yeah. I know this isn't necessarily good for me. Research shows that diving into the deep end of Facebook and Instagram can be daunting and even destructive.  But last night, scrolling social media helped me fall back to sleep.  Friendly faces.  Encouraging messages.  A little joke here and there.  Mea culpa.

Today I'm sharing 10 of the encouraging posts that helped me last night:  

--They acknowledge the heaviness of life and sometimes even make light of it.  

--They offer helpful perspective and reminders of what we already know.

--They reinforce what matters, at least to me and hopefully you, too.   

With December now upon us, and the stresses of the season sometimes overwhelming -- I offer these in the spirit of sensitivity, silliness, and self-care. Plus, since I've done the scrolling, you don't have to.  

Now go get some sleep, please!