Mental wealth for moms with Jess Hill

30/01/2023

30/12/2022

I’m a big believer in journaling to purge, process and plan. Here are some of the questions I will be answering in my journal as I make sense of the sorrows and sweetnesses of 2022. Take what you need for yourself, or bookmark to come back later

25/03/2022

Our motivation and our environment are so closely interconnected. There are some tasks that I find hard to get motivated for, laundry and admin are just two! I have found that if I make the space somewhere I want to be I am less likely to procrastinate. Which space needs a little love and attention from you, so that it invites you back to complete those less favourite tasks?

22/03/2022

Is your space a sacred space? Does it soothe you? Does it ground you? Have you ever paid attention to your unique sensory needs? If this feels overwhelming start somewhere manageable- like your bed and bedside table. Remove any unnecessary clutter and replace only the items that bring you delight. Use all of your senses- a deliciously scented plant or candle, a photo that you love, a lamp that casts soft light, put a simple portable speaker in your room to play soothing music and create a bedtime playlist, put a throw that invites you to bury your fingers in it at he foot of the bed. Even the simplest changes can make a difference to our regulation. What’s more? Those simple changes are contagious, when you see the difference the little changes make it guides you gently into bigger changes.

18/03/2022

It’s been a minute since I last posted here… 🤪so I thought I’d let you know a bit about who I am and what I do. Do you have questions? Jump in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer 😊

24/09/2021

Part of my work as a therapist is doing emdr with patients who have experienced trauma. One of the first things we do together, before we ever start to look at the trauma, is what’s called resourcing. This is a powerful journaling exercise that I get all my patients to do. If you are feeling overwhelmed right now, if the world feels heavy and you are carrying a lot, bookmark this post. Sometime this weekend create a pocket of time, get your favorite drink in your favorite mug, snuggle under your favorite blanket, get our your favourite journal and answer these questions for yourself. It won’t make all the heaviness go away, but it will you to realize what you have at your disposal to face your challenges.

23/09/2021

I read this phrase early this year in Nicky Gumble’s Bible in one year devotional. It has stuck with me and come to mind often. Life is very seldom just good or just bad. I have tried to consciously make an effort to enjoy the blessings in amidst the battles. To be present for the delights, even amidst the stressors. It’s not about ignoring the challenges, wishing them away or being falsely optimistic. It is simply a choice to consciously be present and grateful to the little moments of joy hidden in the hard.

14/02/2021

As parents so often we can ignore the fact that our relationship existed outside our roles as caregivers. I hope you had a Happy Valentines Day! Here are some ideas of to some of the other parts of your story!

12/02/2021

I first saw this quote on the wall of Mugg and Bean in Harrismith on a road trip (remember those?!)⁠
It so struck me, that I took a photograph of it. In a distraction drenched world, I find the one person who often gets the least of my attention, is my husband. At the end of each busy day: after work, and kids and all the chores of life, we are both exhausted. We both have jobs that require a lot of interaction (he is a doctor and I'm therapist), and so are both often "talked-out" by evening. We also happen to have one of the most talkative children alive 😂 ⁠
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Recently we had got into a bad habit. When the kids were in bed, we would each shove in our earphones and zone out watching separate shows on netflix. We both felt it wasn't doing our marriage any favours. ⁠
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Although daily deep meaningful conversations are an admirable goal, we didn't think that was entirely realistic. ⁠
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So we decided to make some simple changes. We chose something we both wanted to watch (not an easy task!) and for the last little while we have been snuggling together on the same couch watching Friends. We have also started playing board games together once a week. No talking about kids, or chores or work. Just simple time together. And you know what? That little bit of extra attention has led to laughter and fun and the deep and meaningful conversations we crave. What simple change can you make to give your spouse more attention?

11/02/2021

Conflict is an inevitable and healthy part of relationships. Conflict arises when our boundaries are crossed and we need to defend them. But there are helpful and unhelpful ways to communicate our dissatisfaction. I can't remember where I first hear a quote about "allowing your spouse to escape with their dignity in tact" after an argument, but it has always stuck with me. We can disagree, but for a healthy marriage, we need to do so kindly. In a marriage like mine, with two equally stubborn parties, it is essential! ⁠

18/01/2021

Hi Guys So excited to share this with you. Last year I was looking for a planner. I couldn’t find what I wanted so I made one myself. It has helped me so much. It’s based on the science of wellbeing, habit formation and ways to build resilience, something I think we could all do with more of lately! It’s specifically for moms but would be helpful for all women. Check it out here. I will be running a live webinar on Wednesday going through how to use it and why I think it can help https://www.jessicahill.org/2021-planner

It has not been an easy time for anyone. If you are a mom trying to juggle work, home life, kids schooling, and still maintain your own mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, I have a simple system to help...

22/10/2020

... a whopping 40%! That means if you are deliberate about your habits and align them with what really matters to you, you can become who you want to be, almost on autopilot! The downside is that if you are not deliberate about the habits you instil, you will be taking yourself step by step away from the mom and person you want to be! In my online course Mastermind your motherhood, I’ll show you how understanding what really matters to you, and making tiny tweaks in your habits, can help you shape your identity as a mom, and teach your kids habits which will set them up for life! Stay tuned!

02/10/2020

On a spring afternoon 11 years ago today, my mom lost her battle with cancer. I miss her every day but I am so incredibly grateful for the faith, love, and stable foundation her and my dad gave me. I pray that I will be able to do the same for my littles. Swipe to see some of what she taught me or click on the link in my bio and click on blog in the menu to see the full article which I first wrote last year. If you are a mom of littles, know that all those every day sacrifices you are making matter.

26/09/2020

Life feels pretty unsettled right now doesn’t it? I’ve always been a big believer in developing routines and rituals that ground us. I think it’s so important to have anchors, habits that are part of our life no matter what else is going on. As an , my job is to help people do the tasks they need and want to do. Two aspects of a person’s life that we start off looking at are volition (what is important to you, your values, your motivation) and habits. Habits ground us, they give us familiarity, stability and identity. It’s important that what we do every day aligns with what we believe is important. These four Cs are an important part of my morning routine, habits I try to start each and every day with. I don’t always get it right but when I do it makes a huge difference to the rest of my day. Cuddles, because I value my family, connection with God through prayer and reading the Bible because I value my faith, coffee... because well what is life without coffee? And finally cardio because I value my physical and mental health. For the last few months I have been exercising each weekday morning at 8am SA time with the incredible .fit. I have so valued the community, accountability and the fact that Christy really knows her stuff. On Monday she is launching an 8 week challenge. You also get a free recipe book if you subscribe and it’s only R160 a month!!! Swipe to check out the details.

22/09/2020

My newest photobook arrived today! As you can see I’m a little behind, but I try to make a book for each year. It’s a way to express my creativity, and take time to reflect. I find it so therapeutic to go through all the memories and tell the stories of our family. It reminds me of all the happy times, and also how we have come through some tough times. It fills me with gratitude for all those tiny moments that add up to an ordinary but rich life. Its a way to catch the days, especially when my little boys are growing and changing so fast. It’s a journey through God’s faithfulness to our little tribe.

31/03/2020

Just one of the powerful thoughts the lovely shared with us today! It’s not too late to join our FREE mom summit! Go to the link in my bio and scroll down. Sign up and look out for an email tomorrow morning to check out the replays of our last 3 sessions including Caitlyn’s and the link for tomorrow’s session when Jo Knowles, an educational psychologist will be sharing about helping our kids to manage anxiety