Have you seen the new study that states “Motherhood is the equivalent of working 2.5 full-time jobs”? You read it correctly. According to Fox 13 News, “Mothers are working overtime. A study by the juice company, Welch’s, says motherhood is the equivalent of working 2.5 full-time jobs. The survey of 2,000 American moms finds their average day goes from 6:33 a.m. to 8:31 p.m. — 7 days a week! That’s 98 hours of work per week and there’s not much room for free time. Moms surveyed say they get on average, one hour of time to themselves. Wine, babysitters and drive-thru snacks are what they say get them through the day.” Holy smokes! Is anyone amazed by these stats? Or like me, underwhelmed… just simply amazed that this is a shocker to some.
I’m definitely all about promoting Self-Love. As a mom, especially lately, I hit a wall and started to feel like a complete hypocrite. What happened to my authenticity!? I’m a firm believer that people truly need to take care of themselves and love themselves. With that said, HOW can we possibly put ourselves first with the mile long to-do list taunting us on a day to day basis? Moms! Am I right? It can be daunting! There was a time that I couldn’t remember the last time I had been out just for me! What better time to take a moment to not only share some MUST-Tips for you, but take it on as an excellent reminder myself. . .
Here are 5 Ways to a Better ‘Mom-Life’
- Prioritize. Not everything will get done every single day and we have to be okay with that. The mom police will not be knocking on your door inspecting for dust particles or checking to make sure all the laundry is folded. I promise. And honestly, if you have any friends or family that do that. . . kindly show them where the cleaning tools are.
- Ask for help (AND be willing to take it). Any of you ask for help and then start doing it yourself because you do it “better”? I AM GUILTY! (eeeep!) Not only does that NOT help you, but it also undermines and deprives those in your life the lesson of stepping up to the plate. Empower them! Empower them by teaching them responsibility and that they can take care of things too.
- Take a Time-Out! Seriously! Maybe it’s 20 minutes a day to just be alone, gather your thoughts and breathe. Or maybe it’s once a week to have a coffee date with yourself or a friend. This time is HUGE. No one is second guessing your love for your family. I absolutely love my littles with all of my heart and I absolutely love being a Stay at Home Mama, but we all need a little time away to recharge and possibly even have an Adult Conversation.
- Communicate With Your Spouse and/or Family. This is a tough one for most of us and this can be extra tricky if you have little ones and live far away from your family. Perhaps your spouse (or partner) has limited time at the house like my hubby? Pat works all week and goes to school at night. Life’s nuts! However, at the end of the day, when we’re honest with each other, he has more down time and less stress than I do. That’s right! A “threenager” and a nursing baby on the move that is teething AND going through a sleep regression. Did I mention we have dogs and cats too? Everyone has a story and a struggle. Let each other know what you need. Be specific. We love our husbands, but sometimes when they’re “helping”, they in turn make a bigger mess and leave us with way more to do. So, give them specific things to do and try not to step in. Take the help. Hey! It’s a process and may not happen overnight.
- And, finally, Know that You’re NOT Alone. It’s so easy to get into the Social Media “What’s Cookin’ Good Lookin” Trap. We fall into this trap of trying to be the perfect mom, the perfect wife, the perfect… whatever! It is okay to not be perfect. In all actuality, being “Perfectly Imperfect” is a beautiful thing. Embrace being you. We are all trying here, right? Embrace the beauty of the journey and start taking those baby steps to love who you are, where you are and where you’re going. In turn once you accept that you don’t have to prove to everyone that you’re perfect, it will be much easier to see that so many mama’s are in the exact same boat. Embrace it and support each other through it.
Start taking these steps and hopefully soon you will start having more energy and actually be able to enjoy ‘MomLife’! To all the Overworked Mamas out there, I see you. You’re doing great. Actually, you’re rockin’ it! Be sure to take time for you. Seriously, you cannot take care of anyone if you pass out from exhaustion! “You can’t pour tea from an empty kettle”. So, pour yourself a cup of tea and join the Tribe! Follow me on Social Media and Subscribe so you don’t miss any posts.
*Coming Soon: Self-Love on a Budget, 5 Ways for a Stay at Home Mama to Make Money and more!
