Being a mum is the most demanding job of all. Juggling kids, house, work, family, friends can be extremely challenging. And somewhere in between you want to find some time for yourself as well…
If you feel overwhelmed with the never-ending pressures that motherhood brings, just take a few minutes to sit down, breathe and read on the following tips:
1. Slow Down
Are you a perfectionist? Rushing around and trying to do as many things as possible at the same time can be exhausting. Give yourself a break and leave out some of the less important tasks. Come on would it matter if you put off the vacuuming until tomorrow? Sometimes all you need is just to sit down and do nothing…or going to bed early and get that sleep.
2. Build a Support Network
Do not try to do it all on your own. Ask for help – family members and friends will be happy to help you with babysitting, house cleaining, ironing and other neccessary stuff but you need to ask for it. If you don’t have family or friends around, go out and find people who can work as your support network. Try befriending mums in the playground or children centers, or join communities such as Net Mums, etc.
3. Make Time for You
Time for you is most likely the last thing on your priority list, but that’s not good. Not good for you, not good for the kids and not good for the ones around you. Without “ME” time, it’s easy to fall into a rut where you suddenly realize you’re not happy with your life. Ask your partner, family member or friend to look after the kids even if it’s just for a couple of hours once or twice a week, when you do something you want to do. Go for a run, read a book, have a bath. Join the gym, not only will you have some much-needed adult social time, you’ll also improve your health, well-being simply by exercising regularly.
4. Stay Active
Being fit and healthy makes life easier in so many ways. Regular activity will benefit your mind, body and spirit. You can do that on your own during ME time but you can also push it into everyday tasks with the kids. If you are walking with your child in the stroller, just stop in the local park and use the bench, tree or stairs to do few exercises. If your kids are older, do family exercises together like bike rides or short hiking trips. You can also walk or bike your kids to the nursery or school instead of driving them.
5. Keep a Positive Attitude
We’ve all had days when enough is enough, feeling like screaming at everyone around us. It’s easy to moan and complain when things are difficult. Take some time to do a gratitude exercise – write down all the things that you feel grateful for. Anything from little things that make you feel good (like a funny face expression of your child) to the big ones that make you feel touched (gratitude to parents for bringing you onto this world). Keep that list and add to it whenever you think of anything else and read it regularly. You can’t feel angry and grateful at the same time 🙂
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