Have you ever thought about running away? Like seriously, run away!  A couple of years ago my daughter got so upset with me that she told me she wanted to run away from home.  Leave me and the rest of her family behind. I secretly thought, “Take me with you!” I didn’t tell her that though (sigh)…

As a parent, sometimes it feels as if you are trapped in this vicious cycle of school, taking care of children, feeding children, driving children, clothing children, spending time with children etc.  There were times I longed for just adult conversations. I can sit back, reflect and even smile, and laugh at those experiences now, but back then…I wanted to get away.

If you’re married, in addition to a child or children, you also have a spouse who you’re responsible for or responsible to. It depends on who is asking!! And sometimes, yes sometimes it feels as if you are living in this never-ending and frustrating cycle that involves children, a spouse, taking care of the children and spouse, and working (if you are employed)! Again I am sure, there were times you have felt as if you wanted to run away, or simply get away from it all!

I know I have felt like running away. I thought of going to a place where no one would find me. There would be no spouses, no children. I would disappear, at least for a day!  Sounds like paradise right! I wonder…

Oftentimes we dare not even think or express these emotions out loud, for fear of hurting those around us, or fear of being ungrateful. But if we, as women are true to ourselves…you and I both know those feelings are very real! I also realize that there are men reading this article who may have felt the same way too. Just saying… at some point we all felt like running away!

So what do you do? What do you do when you feel like running away? I can only tell you what I have done.

Staying Power Activities

Pray

Yep, prayer makes a world of difference. Instead of looking around us and seeing insurmountable problems, we need to look around us and acknowledge a universal gargantuan God!

Refocus

Don’t just focus on the things your spouse and kids are doing that are frustrating the living day lights out of you, focus on the good. The fact that you have a spouse who is sharing equally in raising the kids or simply that you have children.  Some couples are longing to have children.  Some women are praying for husbands.

Breathe

Take deep breaths and look up. Simple actions such as standing straight and lifting your head, expands your lungs. Take deep breaths again. My grandfather always said if you look up you see stars, if you look down you see dirt. Where do you want to look?

Release

Let it all out. Cry, scream, shout!  If that doesn’t work for you, go work out, exercise. Literally burn off your frustration! After a while, the tears do stop following and your pain subsides.

Talk it out

Speak directly to your spouse or children. Tell them how their actions make you feel. Not in an accusatory manner, especially with children. Usually they are trying their very best to do the right thing, but because we are human, we fail lots of times.

Rest

Take a nap or break, if possible. Ask the kids to allow you to take a nap or break at some time in the day.  Or if you have babies or toddlers, take a nap when they take a nap. I know  you want to do it all, clean house, cook, wash and take care of the baby. You will end up taking care of everything and everyone, else except you!

Give thanks

Find something, anything to be grateful for! Be  grateful that you are in good health, have a sound mind, having ten fingers, ten toes! Anything! An attitude of gratitude naturally lifts your spirits.

And yes, sometimes I still feel like running away. I know I have just touched the tip of the iceberg. But just when you think you have had enough…stop..think, try any one of steps above. Remember life, your life, is not made up of only giant, great and wonderful steps but in actuality is a series of small deliberate and meaningful steps that take us directly to the place we always wanted to go.