Hello! My name is Emily, and I’m the person behind Words by Emily. Since I just rebranded this account from One Happy Blueberry to Words By Emily the other day, I figured it was a good time to say #hello again! 👋
Instead of 3 weird facts about me or the like, here are 3 thing I am working on personally at the moment.
1. Getting light. ☀️ Like many folks who live in northern latitudes, my mood experiences a seasonal dip during the dark months. This year, I’ve been trying to get ahead of it by spending 20 minutes with a full-spectrum sun light or glasses in the morning. I’ve noticed myself letting it slide lately, and I want to do better because I think it does help.
2. Narrate phone use. 📱A paradox of the current age is that screen time is supposed to be no good for little kids, but it can be a lifeline for parents — all the more so for those of us who stay at home. I’ve tried different ways to balance it. Prohibiting phone use entirely during the day didn’t feel practical and just resulted in isolation and/or guilt. Right now, I’m experimenting with the practice of making sure I verbally narrate any decision to look at my phone to my kids. So, it might go something like, “I’m noticing it’s getting dark out, and Daddy comes home when it’s dark out. I’m going to see if there are any messages from Daddy about when he’ll be home.” When I’m done with the task, I put the device down again. It’s a way of demonstrating decision-making skills for my kids and keeping me accountable to minimize escapist phone use.
3. Taking vitamins. 💊 I know some folks say vitamins are just a way to make very expensive urine, but for me the practice of taking them daily is a way to say that I care about my own health and that I matter to me. These small acts of reminding myself that I am a person just as worthy of care as my kids are helps me establish a good mindset for my day.
*What about you? What’s something you’re working on right now?*
📸: Hannah Pettersen Photography
