I use this super amazing planner (special needs parents: run, don’t walk to The Glory Days Co. website) that asks for your intentions for each month and how you plan on achieving these goals, among other amazing features. My intent for the month of July is to “be present,” but I want to make this my top bucket list item for the entire summer.

I feel like so much happens over the course of every day. I’m pulled in a million different directions at any given moment and it’s difficult to find my center. Being so off-balance, I feel that I miss a lot of the little moments that I should be cherishing - the puddle jumps, picking strawberries, finding bugs in the grass, all of those sweet pieces that make up summer. I want to be more present because at the end of the day, a job could replace us tomorrow, social media won’t care when we’re gone, and most of the gears that make up our days are trivial.

This month, I chose these three small ways that I can make this happen. Next month, I’ll try three more.

1. Breathe Deep
   I’m frazzled easily when it comes to countless tasks being thrown at me at once, mostly when it comes to work. It affects my parenting as I’m known to be more on edge and have very thin patience. I feel so terrible after the fact, and I have to apologize to my son a lot for snapping at him in moments like this. Really what it comes down to, and so many sane people have told me this, is that “I can only do what I can do.” I’m not a superhuman with eight arms, four sets of eyes, and the power to freeze time, I am one person with only human capabilities - no matter how great at multitasking I can be. I just need to take a deep breath, step away, prioritize, and revisit when I feel more centered. There’s no harm in that. Ever. No matter how many people are barking at you or how much time is left in the hourglass, nothing is ever worth your sanity.
2. Limit Screentime
   I’ll admit that I’m so guilty of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, especially at night, when I could very well be doing something of more value. I’m also a big fan of “pinning” instead of actually doing. And for Facebook being so unimportant to me, I sure to spend a lot of time there. I’ve had my iPhone set to limit my screentime to two hours a day for awhile, but it’s really time to decrease, stop hitting “Ignore Limit,” and actually stick to the time I set. If I spend two hours in a conference call or on hold with the doctor’s office, that’s it, buddy. No more for today.
   I also recently took a two week break from social media and, man, was it refreshing! I would recommend that to everyone for at least a little bit this summer. I also deleted the Facebook app from my phone and kick it old school and view my notifications and post from a browser. How vintage. *wink*
3. Squeeze in Weekend Outings
   Sometimes the weekends come around and I just want to stay inside and do nothing. Let’s be real though: I’m a mom and I am absolutely doing everything on the weekends whether I’m home or not. I want to check out events, even if it’s a little difficult, and visit new places. I want to make memories. Speaking of, do you have any recommendations for us?

I’ll keep you posted on my progress and my new steps for August. What’s your intention for this month?

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Underestimated Strength is a collection of posts all about our journey through life as we navigate preemie parenting after the NICU. You can read my posts here every Tuesday! Also, feel free to follow me on Instagram, where I speak freely about our story and advocacy.
Do you have any questions, comments or topic suggestions? Contact me via email: kristina.mulligan.blogs@gmail.com! 

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