Mom life isn’t easy. Yep, I said it. If you’re a mom, you know it’s true. If you’re a stay at home mom, work from home mom, or if you’re a mom working outside the home, you know momming ain’t easy. As a mother you care for your child, your partner (if you have one), your pet (if you have one), your home, and hopefully make sometime for yourself. Unfortunately, the self-care aspect of mom life often doesn’t happen.
I’m going to share something with you. It’s one of my hard truths and I’ve made peace with it. I’m a working mom and sometimes I don’t want to do anything. After I have commuted nearly an hour to work, worked 10-12 hours, and commuted an hour home, I sometimes don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to cook, I don’t want to exercise, I don’t want to clean, or do anything that requires expending energy.
Does anyone else feel this way? I’m sure I’m not alone with these feelings. I imagine that you or another mom you know has felt this way at one point or another. GUESS WHAT!! IT’S OKAY!! These feelings are normal. Do not feel bad for wanting to just chill when you get off work. Don’t feel guilty for wanting some quiet time for yourself. Sis, you deserve it.
If you have been home all day, cooking, cleaning, and teaching your child….you deserve some time for you. If you have been working from home, trying to teach your child, and manage your household, you too deserve to some time to relax. If you have been at work all day, coordinated child pick up/dinner, etc you also deserve some time for yourself.
It doesn’t matter if you stay at home, work from, or work outside the home, whichever of these roles apply to you, know that you are important. Know that you worthy of self-care. Know that your feelings and need for time for yourself are valid. Sis, I’m right there with you and so are thousands of mothers around the world.
Friend it’s time to drop the feelings of guilt, uncertainty, and anxiety. It’s time to say yes to your own needs. It’s time to say yes to happiness, joy, peace, freedom, and abundance. You deserve these things. You are worthy.
I invite you to take a few moments for yourself throughout the week and love on you. Everyone can’t get massage or go to a spa for self-care, so I’m going to give you 5 things you can do just for you:
1. Once a week take long bath or hot shower, with the door locked and don’t let anyone in (yes friend: no kids, partners, dogs, etc…no one can enter).
2. Get out in nature, even if it’s just a 15-minute walk by yourself or with your bestie.
3. Have a Zoom/Skype/Facetime Girls night.
4. Choose to not do anything for anyone after 5PM (maybe this just happens once a month—give it a try).
5. Read a book or binge watch your favorite tv show.
You may look at this list and say there’s no way I can do all of these things every week. But maybe you can do 1 of them each week or maybe pick 2 items from this list to incorporate into your self-care goals for the month of July.
I’m sending you big bear hugs and positive thoughts across the miles. If you know me in real life—you know I’m a hugger—yeah hugs are kind of my thing.
I hope you have an amazing week and a joyful second half of 2020.
With Gratitude,
Stephanie
