Single Mother Sanity Savers Pt. 1

Being a single mother is no easy task. I know. I was a single mother of two children less than six months ago, so I can say with some authority that being a single mother is a beast. It can drive you crazy if you let it. The insanity is not just that you have to raise children alone and be mother and father. The craziness gets worse when you add a full-time job, not enough money, societal pressure, not to mention being blamed for all of society's ill. How does a single mother remain graceful under pressure? How does she keep from wielding a knife at the next person that tell her "it's not that bad"? What keeps her from pulling her hair out at a minimum, and at a maximum keep from killing herself, her children, or just her spirit? The following five Sanity Savers offers some solutions that I find help get me through some really rough times. They may be a temporary, just for the moment fix, but then again sometime that's all a haggard single mother needs.

1. Music lifts the soul.
Listen to uplifting music that inspires, energizes, and praises God. When I am in a particularly deep depression I put on a upbeat gospel or jazz CD and dance like nobody's watching (nobody is). After a few moments of that I am feeling 80% better. I feel more energetic and positive and the problems seem small.

2. Journaling to get the cobwebs out.
Writing out my thoughts and prayers clears my mind and connects me to God (or whomever you believe in). It draws me closer to him. I feel a deeper connection to him because I am sharing all of my thoughts and feelings with Him. I find that the best time for me to write is in the early morning hours. My thoughts are fresh and I can concentrate better. I put the pen to paper and just write what comes to mind or I follow a specific order of giving thanks, confession and repentance, intercession for others, and petition. Which ever way I choose is fine as long as I am communicating with God.

3. Meditating
It calms my mind. I do it in complete silence or with soft music playing in the background. Meditating puts me in His sphere. I think about His goodness and mercy towards me and His love for me.

4. Talking.
Talking to others or to God through prayer is another way to maintain sanity. Speak to someone gets all the stuff that's bottled up out and clears your mind and body. Discussing problems and concerns can be done by phone or in person while driving along, standing at the kitchen sink doing dishes, or while cooking or cleaning. Talking to God can happen any time; particularly for me doing it in the shower seems to be the best time.

5. Reading.
Reading the bible or book of affirmations. Some of my favorite passages are in Psalms and in the New Testament. The words are my words, especially in the Psalms. I get hope when I read the scripture. When I am having a particularly hard time and I can't bring myself to read whole passages of scripture I just read one verse and meditate on it. It gives me what I need at the time and keeps me connected to God. A book of affirmations helps keep me positive about life when my outlook is negative. The power of positive thinking is priceless.

Hopefully you are a much saner single mother now. The tips outlined above are not hard to practice. It takes a few minutes to pop in a CD or jot down a few thoughts in a journal to decompress. Meditating for 15 to 30 minutes or just taking a five minute breather is simple. Phoning a friend or whispering a prayer does wonders to your stress level and finally reading a verse of scripture or one affirmation can bring calm to your sinking spirit. Please take the time to follow these tips. It could mean the difference between a padded room or a comfy chair. You owe it to yourself and your kids.

You are free to copy this article in it's entirety when you include the author's bio. Please send and e-mail if you choose to use it and receive a reciprocal link.

Samantha Gregory-Applewhite is a technical writer by day and a freelance article and busines writer/speaker/personal coach by night. Her business is Applewhite Communications http://www.applewhitecommunications.com and her writing website is Applewhite Spaces http://www.applewhitecommunications.com She lives and plays in Huntsville, Alabama with her Trinidadian husband Odel and her two children Lexi and AJ. Reading, traveling, internet surfing, and spending time with family friends is her passion.

disinfecting cleaning services Arlington Heights ..
In The News:

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.
Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.
Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.
Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.
Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.
Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.
Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.
Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.
New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.
A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.
AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.
A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.
New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.
Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.
Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.
Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.
Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.
Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.
Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.
iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.
Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.
FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.
Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Is Your Child Having Trouble in School?

Did you know that the school system is only able... Read More

Free Stuff for Twins: Incentives for Parents of Multiple Births

A sure way to double the joys of parenthood is... Read More

STOP Parental Alienation Syndrome before It Gets a Chance to START

Parental Alienation Syndrome was probably first identified and codified by... Read More

Labeling is Disabling: Achieving Congruent Communication

A small town, somewhere in the world, was managed by... Read More

Dads - What Family Legacy Are You Passing On to Your Children?

Do you want to create a deeper, more loving relationship... Read More

Imaginations Soar

Have you ever sat and watch a child struggle with... Read More

What About ADHD Teens and Driving?

This is one of the most common questions asked of... Read More

Why A Father Is Not A Dad

It can be said that any man who procreates is... Read More

Featured Article on Parenting: The Power of Belonging

Search for Assurance: The Power of BelongingThe job hunt is... Read More

Top 25 Children Quotations

"You can learn many things from children. How much patience... Read More

Top 50 Mom Quotations

"All that I am or ever hope to be, I... Read More

How To Teach Your Children Self-Reliance and Potential

Self-reliance and potential are two very important values that I'd... Read More

Why Consistency Is The Key To Raising Well-behaved Kids

Being consistent when children are less than perfect can make... Read More

Why Do People Have Kids?

Despite the theory that people have kids because they want... Read More

10 Secrets To Know You?re A Good Working Parent To Your Kids!

How are parents to know they are doing the right... Read More

Stay at Home Mom You Need to Raise Cowboys

Now I know that is not how the song goes,... Read More

Assertiveness: Key to Better Parenting

I have always been aware of my number one weakness:... Read More

Parenting Confidence - Who Needs It?

It used to strike me as odd - but really,... Read More

Dinner Table Drama

It has been a long day. Home from work, you... Read More

Protect your Kids Early with Safety Glasses

What exactly makes safety glasses different from regular glasses? There... Read More

The Mystery of Picky Eaters

If you were to ask 100 parents why they think... Read More

Children?s Birthday Party Planning: When and When Not to Have a Big Party

Age 1: Invite only family members and close friends only... Read More

Challenges for Our Children

Researchers have estimated that 25-35% of children in the United... Read More

Powerful Tips for Increasing Your Childs Self-Esteem

Here is a list of ways to convey the message... Read More

We All Wish That Our Children Have Good Virtues, But... Are We Setting A Good Example Ourselves?

We all wish that our children should not smoke or... Read More

bathroom cleaning service Mundelein ..