Have you hugged yourself today?

Okay, folks, it's Monday!
And you know what that means.
Yeah, usually, it's a rough day. Take each day's allotment of frustration and roll it into one day, and you have Monday.
So what are we going to do about it?
First of all, we are not going to stress. Things will go wrong, things won't get done that need to be, and kids will drive us utterly bananas because they're back to routine after the weekend. But we won't stress about it.
Moms come in for an awful lot of guilt. Your kid falls and gets hurt during two seconds of diverted attention, you feel horrible. Never mind that you already told him fifteen times not to climb on the back of the couch. He still did it, and he got hurt, and now he's giving you that look that says "Mommy, why did you let me get hurt?"
Don't do it! Don't give in! Yes, he needs attention, but make it a teaching moment. Make sure he understands that if he had listened, he wouldn't be hurt now. Kids seem to prefer the school of hard knocks for some reason, but that is no reason for us to amp up our guilt levels.
Your first grader came home from school crying because she didn't have her costume for the dress-rehearsal of the school pageant. Your guilt SOARS. Did she bother to tell you she needed one? Nope. You didn't even know the school was having a play, but she insists it is your fault because you're a mommy, you are supposed to know things like this. Oh, and the school hasn't updated it's calendar for the last six months, but still...you're omniscient, didn't you know that??
Yeah, sounds absurd. But it happens. All the time.
Don't let it get to you. Things go wrong. You have to go through the bad in order to appreciate the good! If life were nothing but easy and peaceful...how would we know? We have to have hard and chaotic to appreciate the good moments.
So today, instead of dialing your therapist for yet another session of "I'm such a bad mother", try a bit of free therapy. Hug yourself. Once, twice, however many times you need it. Give yourself a big hug, look into a mirror (ignoring the toothpaste splotches you haven't cleaned yet) and tell yourself what a wonderful person you are.
Because you ARE!
People are so depressed these days. Granted, a lot of it is for legitimate medical reasons. Been there, I know, and in fact I'm suspecting I still have an issue. Not in my brain, but elsewhere. I think somewhere else in my system is haywire, and that's depressing everything else. If you really wanna know more, look up "adrenal insufficiency" and see if that describes you!
But there is a lot of depression that could be solved if we just lightened up on ourselves. Society has put a huge burden on us to be thin, beautiful, and totally competent while maintaining a gorgeous home. I'm a self-described HGTV/DIY network junkie, and I've noticed that every time I watch one of the high-end makeovers, it depresses me. You know the kind. The ones where the designers have a five figure budget just to make over a guest room? Sheesh, if I had that kind of money, my family would be on their way to Disneyland about now!
But it kinda makes you feel inadequate. My living room is best described as secondhand toddleresque eclectic. Basically, it's full of hand-me-down furniture that is already worn enough, I don't really care if the kids finally destroy it. But it is so EMBARRASSING! Especially when the donor of said furniture drops by, and you feel like sinking into the floor because of its condition.
Okay, enough! No stressing today! Yeah, I do it too. Time for another hug.
On days you know you're going to be stressed, make a point of doing something for yourself, and don't feel guilty about it. Have a sort of touch point, a link to how you feel when you feel awesome about yourself. Not a hugger? Give your mirror a high-five, and LEAVE THE HANDPRINT! Heck, make a collection of handprints, count them at the end of the day to remind you just how awesome you are, and THEN you can clean it off. If that doesn't work, buy a small cache of treats, hide it away well, and when you need a pick-me-up, grab a treat and say "I deserve every calorie!" If you're on a diet...well, go for sugar free! They make some good ones these days.
You get the idea. It's time to stop letting ourselves be ruled by Monday, whether it's on Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, whatever. Time to just let things be.
Give yourself a hug. And while you're at it...the next time your kid comes at you with uber sticky hands and chocolate all over his face, let him hug you anyway. That's what stain treaters are for.