This year I am spending a lot of time focusing on myself. After 6 years of being a parent I have finally realized that to be the best mom for my girls I need to take care of myself first. I stopped thinking that it was selfish and started realizing that making sure I was not overwhelmed, tired, or stressed-out was the best gift I could give them. I have partnered with Natural Vitality CALM to share a few things I have recently implemented to help me be a less stressed-out mom.
JUST LET GO
I used to consider myself an all or nothing kind of mom. If I adapted a parenting style or incorporated a new diet I had to make sure I was in 100%. If I didn’t meet these unrealistically high expectations I set for myself then I automatically considered myself a failure. I eventually started to realize that being a parent was less “black and white” and a whole lot of “gray”. The more I let go, when my schedule got messed up or I had to eat something less than ideal, the less stressed I felt. I didn’t have to be a perfect mom to be a good mom and once I realized that, my life got a whole lot easier. It wasn’t because I was working less it was because I was letting outside factors, uncontrollable factors, not determine my success as a parent.
MAKE OVER YOUR EVENING AND MORNING ROUTINES
this is a big one for me. I recently revamped my night time routine and it has made the world of difference. I started to set aside time to pamper myself with a face mask or luxurious feeling face cream. I invested in some nice pjs and slippers. I made some tea with Natural Vitality CALM, a magnesium powder that promotes a feeling of zen, one of my more convenient solutions to creating moments of calmness for myself when I need it most. I spent time listening to my favorite podcast or reading a book or even watching a Netflix show. If you are looking to revamp a routine, either morning or night, I would think about things that really bring you joy and help you feel less stressed.
PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME
some times this means making lunches the night before or even meal prepping for the week. Sometimes this means taking my showers at night so I’m ready to go in the morning. Being prepared is a game changer. Pack your diaper bag the day before you know you’ll have a busy day and you will realize how much easy it is to get out the door. Being prepared as much as possible helps me from feeling frazzled when all these last minute things come up. With kids unexpected things are always going to come up but at least you have taken some stress off your plate.
SET EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUR KIDS AND FOR YOURSELF
I have always preached that kids will thrive in scenarios when the proper expectations were set before hand. The same can be said for moms. Make sure you are truthful about the pressure you are putting on yourself. Have a busy day with errands? it’s ok that you didn’t get to clean or cook. Have to take the kids to the doctor? They are kids so they will probably be active and loud and at some point pitch a fit. Let’s really try to realistic and allow ourselves grace, especially in really stressful situations. You won’t even believe how this little mindset change will make the world of difference for you and your kids.
MAKE YOURSELF A PRIORITY
I am a firm believer that self care isn’t about escaping but about creating a life you don’t need to except from. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need a break to recharge. Be sure to really listen to your needs. That doesn’t always look like a night out with girlfriends, but sometimes it’s a trip to the gym or listening to a podcast. Maybe its turning on the tv for your kids, even though you said you never would, so you can shower. All day, every day, you do everything for your gamily. It is ok for you to put yourself first every once in a while
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP
This is so important and something I never did after my first was born. I think I thought I would be a failure if I needed help but that is so untrue. Now Im not afraid to ask for help, delegate, or express my needs. I think my family is thankful for it too because I am a lot less overwhelmed and overall a happier mom and wife.
CHANGE YOUR LANGUAGE
I am a huge believer in verbalizing our intentions and our attitudes. Its incredible how much power words actually have over our frame of mind. I would empower you to change one simple phrase that I’m sure you use many times in your day. Instead of saying “I have to” say “I get to”. “I get to drive my kids to school”. “I get to go to the grocery store and have food easily accessible to me”. ” I get to be woken up by my kids every morning because they love me”. This exercise is so powerful and can make a big change in the way you feel for the day.
TIME BLOCK
One of my little secrets is using a time block method. If I divide my day into little chunks I find that my to-do lists seems a lot more manageable. For example, I will look at what I have to do and allow myself 10-15 min for each. 10 minutes to wash the dishes, 10 minutes to make a snack, 10 minutes to play barbies with the girls, 10 minutes to veg-out and stare at my phone ;) I don’t do this everyday but when I structure my really buy days this way I find that Im happier because I can feel myself completing things off my list and I can make sure Im using my time in a way where I give my attention to all my priorities. Including playing with my kids and maybe throwing in a dance party. Make sure to time block in your rest time and be realistic with burn-out. This isn’t intended to be a “get everything done” type of list. This is a list to make sure I am getting a balance of it all and not overdoing it or getting stressed out when I feel like nothing is getting done.
I want to thank Natural Vitality CALM for partnering with me on this post.
They have been kind enough to give a free gift to all of my readers.
Click this LINK to receive your FREE SAMPLES!
I hope you can find some information here to incorporate into your day and start being a less stressed-out mom.
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