How 5 pm Improved my Emotional Wellness

Five o’ clock may start the dinner hour but for us, it’s typically been

The Whining Hour.

I’m spent, the kids are needy. We’re all…

hangry.

And yet, so much of the day’s to-dos are just beginning, including mealtime.

There was a time when this wasn’t just a challenge.

It was overwhelming.

Today I will explain how explain how this crazy time actually led me to one of my greatest victories:

Improved Emotional Wellness

AKA better mental health. And overall, more flexibility, freedom and resilience in motherhood.

The goal of this post is that you can walk away empowered the next time you feel like screaming.

Or crying.

Because all those emotions are accepted here. They are real, they are a part of this “hood”, and we need to talk about this in order to be healthier.

Let’s dive into it, mama!

The 8 Dimensions of Wellness

Real quick, let’s recap where we are:

1. Physical
2. Emotional
3. Intellectual
4. Social
5. Occupational
6. Environmental
7. Financial
8. Spiritual

What is Emotional Wellness?

And before I dive into this example, let’s define emotional wellness as:

• Your thoughts
• your feelings
• The ability to handle life’s challenges

And screenshot this one:

The ability to ADAPT to change and difficult times.

What is emotional wellness influenced by?

There are five main factors that influence our emotional well-being:

• environmental factors
• relationships
• physical health
• self-awareness
• Stress

Therefore, you can see how rearing kiddos impacts all of this.

And why cultivating a Christ Centered heart is so, so important. Our happiness and “success (or purpose)” as a mom stem from our emotional well-being and tie into our mental health. And we don’t have to go through it alone. We have recourse to something bigger than the here and now in life’s challenges.

Now– on to an example.

Here’s what overwhelmed at 5 pm looked like

I could feel 5 pm approaching long before I saw it.

My son would wake from his very necessary afternoon nap. He had sleep terrors so that could go one of two ways–

Okay or not okay at all.

(If you’re unfamiliar, sleep terrors are basically when your brain is stuck between sleep stages. So, his brain would still be sleeping but he may look awake. By screaming, tantrum, incoherently walking around)

And then he’d be starving.

My newborn would simultaneously let out that cry that would signal my body to get ready for cluster feeding until bedtime.

And I could anticipate my husband’s text saying he was leaving the office.

I’d freeze up.

Here was dinner hour.

The time I wanted to create a good meal for my family and myself. Yet, I almost felt suffocated as I began swirling to meet everyone’s needs.

I’d wonder–

Why was this so hard? I’m a nurse. I can care for multiple people. I know health and wellness.

It shouldn’t be like this.

And then came feelings of:

Failure.

Frustration.

Even dread.

It all just felt like one big overwhelmingly impossible chore.

But this revealed my purpose

Thankfully, my heart new more than my mind. I realized this was not how it was supposed to go. Yes, it was stressful and did seem impossible.

But God didn’t have me home full time to dread every evening and feel inadequate.

And I was reminded:

Dinner is just the name for a meal. And the food is only part of this picture. Nourishment comes in many forms.

Soothing tears.

Ensuring safety.

A body capable of producing milk and bonding.

Meeting the needs of a developmentally appropriate toddler.

Creating a calm, positive environment.

This hour was made for so much more than eating.

Therefore, once I turned my heart back to priority, my mindset followed.

How I found a happier hour

First, I let go of the “idealist” in me. Would it be cool to make a Pinterest worthy 5 course, organic meal? Yeah, I suppose. But that wasn’t reality.

Or necessary.

And honestly, that wasn’t me to begin with (remember I’m not a fan of a bunch of ingredients or dishes on even a good day).

I needed to embrace who I was in motherhood and the gifts (strengths) I’d been given.

And not let scrolling, or the “kid experts” bombard me with information. Or the perfectly portioned toddler plate with each compartment packed to the brim with star shaped nutrition.

I redefined my priorities.

What did I need to do? And what was important to me?

Serve my family.

How?

Simply.

Simple is amazing.

You don’t have to cook something amazing for it to be amazing.

It’s all about the way you go about it.

Love can be found packaged, microwaved or even served on paper plates.

And little by little, I found a rhythm. I started diving further into my passion for hacks and shortcuts, too.

Things like:

• What could I stir with one hand?
• How could I make this without the prep?
• How could I add extra nutrition without effort?
• Make it simple enough for my son to help with?

Perhaps you can now see the origin of many of my nutrition tips and tricks 😉

And the best part?

I finally let go of any restriction mindset I was still clinging to.

Fed was best.

For everyone.

I allowed canned biscuits, frozen pizzas and bags of chips. In fact, I capitalized on these favorites to offer balanced plates.

Protein shakes transitioned from a meal to a snack. Frequent trips to the salad bar were replaced with nutrient dense cans in pantry and colorful bags in my freezer.

I thought of fun ways my son could be entertained with food before dinner to buy myself time. His favorite– PB frosting (similar to Honey PB Dip) with crackers and sprinkles.

We had fun. Yes, there were (and still are) tears. And lots of breakfast for dinner.

But I found the true joy of all this–

Serving my family.

Can you relate?

Perhaps you can identify a part of your day that makes you feel frazzled and inept. It may not be mealtime. But I encourage you to think about if you can

1) redefine it for what works for you in this season

2) what ways can you simplify it?

I guarantee God has instilled gifts inside of you and you’re more equipped than you realize to overcome this. And as always, I’m just a message away if you need help brainstorming.

Looking to simplify mealtime?

If you find yourself in a similar situation, I encourage you to try one of these. So many of these were created during this overwhelmed time in my life and for that, I’m so grateful to share:

• Bacon Spinach Egg Bake
• French Toast Casserole with biscuits
• 3 Ingredient Ice Cream
• Easy Marinara Sauce
• No Prep Slow Cooker Lasagna

Disclaimer: while I share this example of overwhelm on my journey, I acknowledge that post-partum overwhelm can be a symptom of a deeper issue such as anxiety and depression, which is common for moms. If at any time you feel there’s a problem more than you can handle alone, please reach out to your physician. Don’t feel ashamed, be proud. That’s emotional wellness at its finest.

Ready to Embrace Wellness?

Continue to follow along! Next up is Intellectual Wellness– how does that tie into motherhood you ask? I’ll be sharing soon 🙂