These Are Simple Days.

These are simple days.

Sleep in, slow wake up.
Read the Bible, sit on the couch for a few more minutes petting the dog.
Put kettle on for coffee or tea.
Breakfast.
Put away clean dishes.
Load dishwasher with dirty ones.
Listen to an audiobook.
Light a candle.
Play the piano.
Put in a load of laundry, listen to the rumble of the washer while finishing my cuppa.
Go for a walk.
Read.
Listen to old favorites on Spotify.
Put jackets, hats, or shoes away.
Straighten bathroom.
Take pictures of the dog.
Make dinner.
Watch The Office or play a card game.
Take the dog out.
Back to sleep.

It’s wonderful. Being a homemaker has been my dream job for as far back as I can remember. I love watching the sunlight move through the house and seeing the world turn green and healthy again. I’m grateful for slow, simple days.

But sometimes I get a restless feeling in my chest.

I haven’t done enough. What did I really accomplish today?

I know this is something I struggle with. While I am not necessarily a disciplined person (something I’m working on), I am very hard on myself and afraid of disappointing people. So while I enjoy these quiet days of catching up, sometimes the fear of not doing enough sneaks in. When that happens, my tendency is to wallow. I stay put, right there in the self-disappointment and guilt, and the rest of my day is shot.

However, I believe I’ve found the remedy, and it is gratitude. There is so very much I have to be thankful for! If I can summon enough willpower to interrupt my internal whining and griping and guilt with thankfulness, then I’m fine. The anxiety stops or at least slows down long enough for me to take control of my emotions, and I can continue being productive in the small ways I’ve been given that day.

Besides being thankful, I have to constantly remind myself that it’s okay to have slow days. Say it with me:

It’s okay to have slow days.

Not every day is going to be super productive. The list above doesn’t always happen. Sometimes the whole list does happen and I still feel like I didn’t accomplish everything I “should have,” even if I don’t know what those things are. But if I can remember to be thankful, notice the little things, and remind myself that not every day is going to be a day where I just crush all or any of my goals – I’ll be fine.

Let’s take each day as it comes, with deep breaths and homemade muffins and JJ Heller music and cold cups of tea. Gratitude over guilt. Thankfulness over fear. Notice the tiny gifts all around you, even on slow, simple days.