A lot of women can’t wait to have kids. We have their names picked out by the time we’re 10 years old. And children are absolute blessings. HOWEVER, many times motherhood isn’t exactly what we expected. We picture sweet hugs and unconditional love and that part is wonderful. BUT we didn’t know about the constant cooking and cleaning, running from place to place to place, and the emotional toll that leaves a lot of mothers feeling overwhelmed. So yeah, Mommin’ ain’t easy!!!
There can be a lot of sacrifice that goes into having a family. Some people wear that sacrifice better than others.
So this is my question to you: How do you feel? How are you coping? How are you handling the stress? Are you letting yourself be just an afterthought in your own life?
Mommin’ ain’t easy. That’s why I need you to understand how important it is to keep YOURSELF at the forefront of your mind. I want you to do all the things for yourself that you do for your kids. Weekly play dates, grooming, doctor appointments, games, hobbies, things that excite you, things that teach you. I want you to do all these things for yourself. Everyday.
You deserve to love yourself. Loving your children and loving yourself is not the same thing and if you are going to be happy, you need to learn to separate the two!
Here are some tips for self care:
- Plan your day the night before. Even just preparing your outfit the night before can be helpful. Anything that you can do ahead of time in preparation will be helpful to you.
- Gratitude Journal. This works for Oprah and so we should all do this without question! Just kidding. Kind of kidding. Oprah, Tony Robbins and Steve Harvey alike believe that gratitude is an absolute MUST. Oprah says that if you wake up in the morning looking for your 5 things to be grateful for, you are going to have a much different day.
- Exercise. Yep. You already know why. Endorphins. Dopamine. Oxygen. Stress relief. Physical health. Mental health. There are so many things that you can do to get active. Do it!!
- Talk to a friend. Talking to a friend that will be real with you is important. Sometimes it can be good to vent and have someone agree with you and sometimes you need someone to tell you “No girl. Don’t do that!”
- Eat. Sometimes we settle for a handful of chips or a handful of M&Ms. Nourish your body with that same things that you would feed your children. Fruits, vegetables, water, less preservatives, and less sugar! Be easy on yourself and buy a vegetable tray or a fruit bowl that is already prepared for you.
- Learn something new. It’s so important to try new things! We need to keep learning new things to keep our mind active and full of passion!!
- Make lists. Get everything out of your mind and onto paper or into a list on your phone. This helps you release the stress of having “so much to do.” Look at your list, delegate, and cross things off as you go. I guarantee you will accomplish more than you think throughout the day.
These, of course, are just a few things that can help you. Let’s keep meeting up to discuss motherhood- the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all!! And PROMISE ME you’re going to start a journey to find yourself again!!
Until we meet again…. Love and Hugs XOXOXO