[00:00:00] You are listening to Episode 218 of the Peaceful Mind Podcast.
Welcome to the Peaceful Mind Podcast, a place for creating the peace of mind you need to be the best mom you were created by God to be. If you want to bring more balance, more joy, and more peace to your motherhood, This is the place for you. I'm your host, certified life coach at Catholic Mom, Danielle Thienel. In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let's get started.
Welcome to the Peaceful Mind Podcast for busy moms. I'm your host, Danielle, and today we're diving into a topic that touches all of us at one point or another, and that is when life feels blah. Blah. Blah. Right now, when I'm recording this, it's technically still winter, it [00:01:00] happens to be an overcast day, and raining, and the day itself feels blah.
I don't personally at this moment feel blah, but I do know that it has happened before, will happen again, and whether you find that your life feels blah right now, or that it doesn't for you, but knowing that you have had experience with it and it will happen again. I hope that what I have here to offer you and share will bring you more peace of mind and some strategies to take on when and if that day comes again.
This actual subject was brought up from a client in my coaching program. And so I do know that at least she heard about the topic and thought that it that yes, I would like to know because I do have those days when I'm, I'm just again feeling blah. And those days, they're the ones that They[00:02:00] aren't necessarily bad, but there's a lack of, of sparkle or of excitement.
They're the in between, the monotonous, monotone days. They're seemingly mundane and routine. But here's a perspective shift. What if these blah moments aren't just empty spaces, but they're actually an opportunity for you wrapped in disguise. And today I want to explore that there is beauty in those blah days.
There are strategies that will help revitalize your spirit when your blah days happen. And there's some practical steps that will rediscover your joy after you actually allow blah days to exist for you and not make them be any kind of problem for your life. Because It doesn't have to be a problem.[00:03:00]
Without days that we feel blah, it would make the other days where you are feeling this kind of like, excitement, enthusiasm. It is where we have both sides of the spectrum are needed so that we can enjoy the positive sides and days even more. So I want to first normalize this actual blah feeling that we're talking about today, especially right that life for us, especially as faith filled moms, we want to see it in that.
It's beautiful to have seasons, and we can have a blah season and we could have a season of like growth and adventure. We are told in the Bible that there is a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to plant, and a time to uproot. And sometimes the blah is our season to rest, to listen, and to [00:04:00] prepare for what's next.
It might be a sign to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with God's pace instead of the world's pace. So there is good in the blah. These are some things that I want you to look that when life feels blah, that we can take an advantage of. And that is we can rest and recharge. These blah moments offer us a chance to rest physically, mentally, and spiritually.
It's like we can make it a true rest day, a true Sabbath. It'll allow us to recharge a little bit so that we're ready for these seasons. of planting or growth, or maybe we're a time of season to harvest, then, then we can be set ourselves up to handle that more [00:05:00] readily. It's also a great time for you to listen.
And reflect or evaluate quiet times, or when we can hear God's voice more clearly, it's an invitation to deepen our relationship with him and just to align our actions with his plans, a time to actually use the, the non activity to evaluate how is life going for us? What changes would we want to make are.
Are we doing and seeing the results that we want to be? And if not, how then do we want to move forward when we're not feeling blah? It is a great time to also simplify your life and to repriatores, reprioritize. Because in the blah, we get to see what truly matters. [00:06:00] It's an opportunity to declutter our lives.
And that might be mentally or physically. And our hearts too, right? Can we focus and prioritize on what actually truly matters in this season of life and where you are that will enrich your spirit or something that will now nurture your family and, and all of these things that I'm offering you to rest and recharge, to listen and reflect, to simplify and prioritize.
You might not focus and do those things if you didn't first have days where you feel bored or monotonous or just overall blah. So how do we move through it? Right? If we're feeling stuck in it, that can be challenging. But I want to offer that it's also a call to action. After this resting in reflection.[00:07:00]
It can be a nudge for you to just seek deeper, how you could live more fully, embrace more joy into your life. And here's some suggestions I have for navigating those waters. To move through it and not stay stuck in the blah, you really want to seek deeper. Connection. Can you reach out to friends, join a book group, a Bible study group, participate in some sort of community service, just connecting with maybe someone you haven't connected with in a while, be a part of You know, a collaborative mission.
Seek like minded people, groups that fit some of your hobbies and interests. Somewhere where you can, you can open yourself up to bring in a perspective that is supportive to you and, of course, brings more joy. [00:08:00] That could look like a creative workshop, could find new ways to engage in music, definitely helps us get out of our blahs, art, nature.
Journaling, these kind of acts will invigorate your soul and you might not do them otherwise if you didn't have a day that had you feeling blah in the first place. Continuing on some ideas that will help you move through the blah, you could help a neighbor, you could support a cause that's close to your heart.
Exercise, right? Physical movement isn't just good for the body, it's a mood lifter. You could take a walk, join a fitness class, or simply dance around the living room with your kids. Add some of that music I mentioned earlier, could be an instant mood lifter. How about some new experiences? Because when we feel blah, it's mostly because we've been very routine and just had [00:09:00] several monotonous days on top of each other.
So could you try something new? Whether it's a new hobby, a new recipe, a new family adventure, because these new experiences, they do spark joy and they also spark our creativity so that we open ourselves to getting more ideas on that make our life less blah. And then a gratitude practice, for sure. This just, in general, helps in so many, it's actually the strategy and answer to so many of the things we struggle with.
If you start and end your day by listing three things you're grateful for, that gratitude shifts your focus from the blah. To God's blessings big and small. So I want you to Embrace the blah moments instead of avoiding them resisting them Just wanting to push them away thinking that they should never be there I want you to [00:10:00] embrace it which is mean to bring it in accept it And then to also see that it does play a vital role in your peace of mind to have those moments where you can rest and recharge and then try something new.
It isn't about resigning to your blah days, but recognizing that they serve a purpose in our lives. They are pauses to breathe. They are also invitations for you to grow. And they are also a great reminder for our need to not be self sufficient and in control of everything, a time to remind ourselves to seek God's guidance and love in your life at that point.
And I want to just kind of recap and give you those 10 actual steps that you could start [00:11:00] today that would navigate the Blahs. And I think that. These would help you be doing it with grace and with a purpose. And that is to start a gratitude journal, to set aside some daily quiet time for prayer and reflection of your life, to commit to a physical activity that you enjoy, to reach out to a friend or a family member so you can have a meaningful conversation.
I suggest you try a new hobby or revisit an old one. You could volunteer for a cause you're passionate about, and it could also be volunteering something like for your friends. Maybe you take your friend's kids to the park one day and give her a rest. Maybe you organize a family or community kind of gathering get together so you can create connection.
How about dedicating some [00:12:00] time each week to actually disconnect from technology, maybe connect with nature instead, maybe begin a book club or a reading plan for yourself, and you can focus on books that create more joy, purpose, and resilience. I have two suggestions in mind the Peaceful Mind Bible for Busy Moms and the Cyclone Mom Method.
Those would be two of my suggestions that are going to help you refocus into joy, purpose, and calm in your life. And how about this? How about creating a vision board, right? That activity. So it really sparks you into kind of having your, your mind and your brain go towards things that you would like to see your dreams for your future and, and actual tangible things that might spark something out of your blossom.
So I want you to remember that every season has its purpose and even a day of [00:13:00] blahs has its purpose. And none of us are exempted from moments or days of blah. They are a chance to give you reflect, reflection, growth, renewal. And I would love for you to lean into those times. And the last thing I wanna do is I wanna point out.
I want to point out some thoughts you might be having on those days where you feel blah. And at the same time, I want to offer you possible like counter thoughts that you could think instead that might help you move through or move on through the blah moments. And I hope that that will be some insights to you the next time you find yourself there and you'll feel more empowered to be able to create something different if that's what you want.
So here's some examples. [00:14:00] If you are thinking the thought, I'm just going through the motions every day. What you could think instead is What's one small change I can make today to bring joy into my routine? If you find yourself thinking a blah thought like, I feel like I'm not accomplishing anything significant today, could you then pivot to think every act of kindness and love, no matter how small, that I give to my family is significant and is shaping their world.
Another blah thought that you might think is, I don't have time for myself. To counteract this thought, you could think, I will courageously set aside short periods of me [00:15:00] time to recharge, even if it's just a few minutes of prayer or a cup of tea in silence. The next blah thought I want you to contemplate, or to think about maybe next time you have it, is, I'm just not as happy as other moms seem to be.
And the counter thought I want to offer you today is, comparison is the thief of joy. And instead, you could think, I'll focus on my unique path, and the blessings in my life, knowing all of us have our struggles. Here's another blah thought that comes into our mind. Sometimes. I don't know what my purpose is beyond being a mom and the counter thought to that could be exploring my interests and talents can lead me to discover new passions and [00:16:00] purposes So what's something I've always wanted to learn or do that?
I could maybe start making one action step towards that today. How about this one that creates blah. I feel isolated and alone in my experiences. So the counter thought to this is reaching out to connect with another mom could inspire both of us. Who can I text, call, or meet up with today?
I want to just preface this next blah thought as being something that Is going along in our minds. My thought is too much and we definitely want to counteract this one. And it is this blah thought that I'm not good enough. And then add whatever. Maybe it's parenting. Maybe it's I'm not good enough at work.
I'm not good enough at maintaining relationships. [00:17:00] So the counter thought to that. to help you move through that blah moment is to think, I am doing my best with what I know and have right now. And each day is an opportunity for me to learn. And in that learning, I grow. So it's an opportunity to grow and learn.
How about this one? I'll never get through this to do list. This one definitely makes us feel overwhelmed and gets us stuck and doesn't make us feel great at all. If we can take a look at that list and just say, there's one thing on this list that if I complete it, it'll make me feel a sense of accomplishment today and that's where I'll start.
And then it'll get you into action and have you moving through that blah moment. Nothing exciting ever happens is usually a thought that we are thinking during our days of blah. And instead, [00:18:00] we want to go searching for what's something new or different that I can try this week. No matter how small, what adventure could I create or find in The unexpected places of my life, and then here's lastly, I just want to say when we're feeling blah, it's usually when we're just not seeing any progress, we're not feeling like we are have a direction, right?
That we're not seeing that we're making strides in our lives. Everything just feels the same and stuck. So to counter that thought, We could say that every step forward, every action towards a goal we stay focused on is progress. And I want to just add to [00:19:00] that with a reminder that to make progress, we do not need perfection.
So what's one small action you could take right now towards your goals to help you move through the routine, the monotonous. The, the, just the blah of this day. So I hope that me pointing out some probable thoughts that run through your mind on those days when you feel blah and offering a counter thought, I hope it, it encourages you that you definitely have the power to pivot from these feelings of stagnation or anxiety.
inadequacy, to feelings of empowerment and curiosity and hope. Because by consciously choosing to engage in overall more positive self talk, you will be [00:20:00] able to navigate through the blah moments with a renewed sense of purpose. So, as I conclude today's episode, I just want to thank you for tuning in, and I am always inviting you to not make what is negative about your life at times mean anything about you and your worth and value.
And what's possible for you, because I want you to see that blah moments and feeling blah is just not a problem that it is part of this human experience, but you can create and bring peace of mind to these, these negative challenges, these days that are hard, and you can do it in really kind of small, [00:21:00] Strategic ways, which is what I hope that I've offered you today.
I have such full faith in all of you, and I hope that the next time you have a day where you feel blah, you'll be able to recall on that. Or if you know somebody else who is going through a time where they just kind of feel like blah. Blah, that then you'll be able to refer them to this podcast and share it with them.
All right, mamas, thank you again for being here. I love you all. And until next time, may peace be with you always. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's episode of the peaceful mind podcast. If you found value in today's episode, I'd be so grateful if you could subscribe and leave a review. It not only supports the podcast.
But ensures you don't miss out on future episodes packed with insights and tools to create peace of mind in your busy mom life. And if you're of the Catholic faith like me or any Christian mom seeking to feel better in [00:22:00] any area of your life and to show up more calm, connected, and confident, I can help.
Become an empowered mom who knows how to bring about the changes you desire, no matter the circumstances. Whether you need one on one guidance to get there or a self study course I've got you covered explore my private one on one packages, join my Busy to Balanced group life coaching program, or delve into my signature course, Divine Time to find out which path is right for you.
Let's meet and see what's the best fit. Schedule a free call with me at daniellethienel.com or send me a direct message on Facebook or Instagram. And also, don't forget to get your copy of my book, the Cyclone Mom Method: how to call on your God given power to remain calm in control and confident as a busy mom.
Dive into the digital [00:23:00] and bonus audio version when you go to book.daniellethienel.com/new-book forward slash new dash book. You'll find all the details in the show notes too. Until next time, peace be with you always.
