DEAR 3AM MUMMA

Dear 3am Mumma

The night is dark and the winds are blowing.

Your eyes feel heavy, enlarged and irritated and you long to sleep. And I don’t just mean sleep. You wish your whole body and your racing mind would be still, calm and rested enough that you feel renewed. Hmmm, if only you had a spare 3 weeks to yourself…..

It’s hard enough tossing and turning, wandering the house or mindlessly watching the screen at 3am as you will your mind to turn off, but add a child into the equation and WHOA – that’s some hard going, isn’t it?

Beautiful 3am mumma, I see, hear and FEEL you. Oh how I wish I could sit beside you during these moments. I’d make you a cup of tea, light a candle and have nice music playing. If we’re awake, we might as well make it lovely, right?

The next time you can’t sleep, remember you’re not alone. Physically you might be, but energetically, there are hundreds of mums and dads doing what you’re doing. There are also thousands of people – not just parents – with the 3am UPS. This is why 1 in 15 online purchases are made between midnight and 6am. People are awake!

Some are working. Some are worried. Think of them when you’ve next got the 3am Ups.

What do you think those people are doing?

How do you think they’re wanting to feel?

Now sweet person, how do YOU want to feel when you can’t sleep?

Let’s be honest about life: we’re going to have nights we can’t sleep, right? Let’s make a plan to get you through them easier than feeling frustrated, alone and out-of-control.

For any plan to be successful, you need to know your why first. Ask yourself; if there are going to be times I’m sleepless in the early hours of the morning

• Who do I want to be?
• How do I want to be?

Now’s a good time to remind you, you can do tired.

You do tired A LOT don’t you?

In upleveling your behaviour and self-concept, you can be tired AND … fill in the blank. How do you WANT to feel? Tired and what else?

That’s your next big question.

• How do I want to feel?

I’ll get you started: grateful, present, loving, productive, prepared, adventurous, calm, rational?

You get to choose these feelings sweet friend, and when you do, then you get to start living them! This starts with clarity – you just got that so virtual high five to you. Now choose thoughts that conjure your desired emotion, next make choices that align. Phew! That feels better. I can see your shoulders relax and your breaths deepen as you think through this simple shift in focus.

From my awake-at-3am-heart to yours, I offer you kindness and compassion. I’ve taken my chosen feeling of gratitude, channeled it into prayers of thanks, hugged my hubby, watched a quick inspirational clip, meal prepped and written to you.

If you keep what matters to you in the forefront of your mind, it will show up in life through your actions.

Stay amazing beautiful person. You’re needed.

Catherine