Let’s face it – being a mom comes with a whole host of jobs. You are not just a mom, but a chauffeur, nurse, doctor, nutritionist, chef, personal assistant, and educator (among many other things). Trying to balance everything motherhood demands of us is incredibly difficult, whether you’re working full time, working part time, or managing your household full time as a stay-at-home parent.
One of the most important things for any modern mom to accomplish is balance. You have to find time for yourself while also spending your time working or taking care of your household. In fact, self-care is more important than any of your other tasks or responsibilities because taking care of ourselves first and foremost can help us ‘show up’ for our lives more confidently and in a more balanced way. In this article, we’ll look at ways to balance self-care while balancing work, family, and your personal health.
Organization and Planning
Keeping your home and life organized and having a plan for each day/week may sound like an incredibly simple task. But, it is often overlooked, and understandably so, amidst everything else that comes flying at families from day-to-day.
When your home is clean and organized, it can create a sense of peace and place of serenity, whereas, a disorganized and cluttered home may lead to more stress even when you’re supposed to be relaxing in your home.
Engage your family to help you keep the house clean. Even if you have young children, they can take on small responsibilities that will eventually evolve into larger ones. If everyone has an expectation on who cleans what and how to keep things from becoming disorganized chaos, your home will never require a full overhaul to get it back into shape.
Have a Plan
Having a plan for each day and the days to come helps minimize stress and keeps your family flourishing as you’re all tackling multiple tasks and needs each day. Manage your calendar and share it with your family so everyone knows where to be, when, and who is getting them there. This will help you eliminate the questions surrounding practice times and sorting out rides for your little ones.
Your Hygiene
This might seem a little ridiculous, but oftentimes, moms may take such great care of everyone else, that they forget to do the same for themselves. When you schedule a dental appointment for your children, make sure to schedule one for yourself as well.
It is critical to see the dentist every six months to stay on top of your oral hygiene and health. Don’t allow yourself to believe that you don’t need the care, but your family does. You have to be a priority for yourself – schedule your dental appointments, regular physicals, and keep yourself physically healthy. This will allow you to take the best care of yourself and your family as well.
Therapy Works
When trying to balance all of the demands placed on a modern mom, the stress can be overwhelming. You may find yourself bogged down by anxiety, trapped in a cycle of no sleep and stress, or even depressed.
All of these (plus many other) concerns can be addressed by seeing a therapist regularly. Find yourself a person you can meet with weekly, biweekly, or monthly to process ways to deal with stress, cope with negative self-talk, and lead yourself toward being your best version. Therapy can also be a valuable tool for your family. When considering how to find a good therapist for your teenager navigating the ups and downs of growing up, it can be challenging but may be important as many teens struggle with real-adult emotional issues and need the tools to process them.
Making Time for You
Take Time for You
To be a good mom; good partner; good employee; and person overall, you have to address your own needs. Many moms fall into the cycle of running themselves ragged because they think they need to be all things to all people, but forget to refill their own tanks as well. As a mom, it is crucial to take time for your needs. You can do any of the following to take care of yourself, among others:
- Get regular massages
- See the chiropractor
- Get your nails done
- Get your hair done
- Take a walk
- Exercise
- Join a sports team
- Join a club
- Read a book
- Be creative
- Take a hike
- Take a vacation with or without your children
Modern moms often struggle with feeling selfish by doing any of these activities because the focus isn’t on their family, but on themselves. This is the whole point. You must take time for yourself, recharge your batteries, and keep your physical and mental health on point to be the best mom, partner, and employee you can be.
