Have you lately found yourself at your wit’s end?
As moms, we are constantly on the go.
From soccer practices, school, and daily household chores it is no wonder that our once healthy lifestyle is placed on the back burner.
It’s important that even in our busy lives that we take care of ourselves as well.
Juli Burton, author of The Self-Care Solution: A Modern Mother’s Must-Have Guide to Health and Well-Being said,
The moment you become a mother and commit to caring for your child, set an intention for yourself: I will honor and respect myself by regularly taking care of my needs. This will make me happier and better able to care for my family.
This quote reminds me of the common saying “we can’t pour from an empty cup.”
Many of these tips below are a no-brainer but are often forgotten or not regularly executed.
I am even at fault sometimes for not regularly putting these tips into motion because these are often easier said than done.
But making sure that even 5 of these tips are on your checklist every day will help you strive to be a very happy mom!
1. Ask for Help
Happy moms are not afraid to ask for help.
They know that they can’t do everything themselves so they ask family members and friends. Whether it is asking to babysit your kids so that you can go on a date night or asking your kids to help clean up around the house. Asking for help is a happy mommy habit.
2. Take Time for Yourself
Remember, you’re a human too who has needs and those needs should be met. It’s very common to get caught up in daily activities and forget if you ate or if you took a shower.
Often once the kids are in bed, moms will go finish up their to-do list but forget that their to-do list should include time to themselves. Happy moms make sure to schedule “me time.”
3. Meditate
Meditation is a wonderful practice. It helps to prepare your body for the day, helps you to de-stress and is great for your overall health.
I have talked with many moms who say that just by meditating 5 minutes every morning they have found that they are more calm and happy throughout the day.
4. Get Active
There have been countless conducted studies that show how physical activity is beneficial for new moms. With busy schedules, it is tough to make sure to get a workout in.
But, it can be done. Happy moms make sure that they get some sort of physical activity into their day.
5. Go Breathe Some Fresh Air
I watched a video on Facebook recently that talked about how even 5 minutes outside can help lower stress levels, blood pressure, and your mental well being.
Being inside all day can start to make you feel bogged down and anxious. There are many fun activities like playing with chalk, looking for bugs, or going on walks.
Breathing some fresh air will do anyone some good!
6. Wake Up Early
Happy moms wake up early because they are able to get themselves ready, check off some to-do’s before their kids wake up, and they are not rushed. Waking up late and rushing out the door is not the best way to start your morning.
Doing so can create tension, arguments, and frustrations early in the morning.
Waking up early only happens when you go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Instead of spending what you think will be 5 minutes on Facebook (when in reality we all know that never happens), turn off the phone and get to bed so that you can wake up bright and early to get a jump start on your day.
7. Have a Girl’s Night Out
Having a girl’s night out is a fun way to relax and be with friends for a few hours.
Carving some time away from kids is crucial! Moms need “mom friends” because they are people you can connect with and relate to. Also, your friends are another place to find support.
8. Lower Your Expectations
Very happy moms don’t expect their kids to live up to the highest of expectations.
Successful moms are 10 steps ahead at all times! They set expectations that are attainable and realistic for each age of their children. When those expectations are met, praise is given.
It is exhausting for you and your children if expectations are never being met. And if they are never being met or they are unrealistic. It can create hard feelings towards one another. Set expectations that are realistic and timely to ensure that your expectations will be met.
9. Take Time to De-Stress
Raising children is no easy task. Now more than ever stress in families and individuals exists at its highest.
Successful moms take time to de-stress and “cool” off before giving a child a punishment, dealing with tantrums, and handling bad behaviors. Why?
Because when you are angry, frustrated, or stressed, you may oftentimes punish unfairly to your children or yell at them. It is easier said than done when it comes to cooling off before dealing with a situation. But it is something worth practicing.
10. Get Enough Sleep
This is a no-brainer. Getting enough sleep makes a HUGE difference. Being sleep deprived is a huge challenge moms face. Some ways I and other moms make sure they are getting enough sleep are:
- Not spending time scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or any social media at bedtime
- Going to bed early
It may sound funny but set a goal to get more sleep! Listen to your body and what it needs. Guilt may try to force you to go do the dishes or sweep the floors while your kids are taking naps.
But if you are tired to the point of it being a struggle to keep your eyes open, take a quick snooze! The dishes can sit in the sink a few more hours. Take care of yourself, momma!
11. Get Into a Routine
Having a simple routine that you follow can save you time and stress. Routines are a great way to help you and your kids know what needs to be done.
Not having a routine creates stress and chaos. Happy moms make sure they have a routine in place so that everyone knows what to expect.
12. Don’t Allow Your Buttons to Be Pushed
This one takes practice, practice, and more practice! It is easy to get frustrated or annoyed when your child is asking you “why” ten million times. But with practice comes perfection.
One of the best ways I have found that helps my buttons to not get pushed is to walk into a different room and take three deep breaths. This is a great way to help calm your emotions.
Happy and successful moms are not perfect at this either but they work on staying calm when their buttons are being pushed.
13. Do Something You Love
You have to have HOBBIES! Doing things you love helps you be a happy mom. Just because you have children doesn’t mean you have to give up things you once loved to do.
Get your children involved in the hobbies you love and get involved in the hobbies they love.
Happy moms know that it is important to still be themselves and do what they love. I am a very crafty person and I love finding a craft on Pinterest to do because it helps me to relax and de-stress.
If you are not sure what your hobbies are, hop on Pinterest and try different things until you find one that you really enjoy doing.
14. Schedule Quality Family Time
Family time is great, but quality family time is even better.
Finding a couple of fun activities that the whole family enjoys doing is a perfect way to bond and connect with each other. Maybe you can have a “no electronics rule” during these family times to enjoy each others company.
Spending quality time with each other helps you to get to know another better such as interests, fun things that happened at school, friends, and challenges. Families that spend quality time together are often closer than the average family.
15. Say “No”
If your plate is already stacked full than say no!
Just because you are queen bee does not mean that you need to be queen bee of everything.
I sometimes struggle saying no because I am a people pleaser. But sometimes I can’t do what someone asks me to do.
Saying no has boundaries. Don’t just say no because you really don’t want to do something. If you are too busy, it’s okay to say no.
Successful moms know when to say no and when to say yes. Just like anything new it takes practice. There have been times I have said no to family because I wanted to spend time with my family.
16. Be Patient
I would say being patient, especially as a mom, is one of the hardest things to do.
Today it’s so easy to buy something online and have it at your door in 2-3 days.
Patience is a skill everyone should learn because there are times that you can’t get something right away such as these 17 tips. A lot of tips will take time as you learn to master them one by one.
It takes a lot of patience to raise children, but happy moms know that it will take time and work to be patient every day.
17. Know That You Are an Amazing Momma!
You are an amazing mom no matter what!
It is so easy to compare yourself to other moms who seem like they have it all together. We often compare our weaknesses to someone else’s strengths.
But guess what, they probably do the same thing as well. Motherhood is a journey. It won’t be perfect in one day. It takes time.
Successful and happy moms know that they are doing the best they can and believe that they are an amazing wife, woman, and mother. Remember that you are too!
Take Momming One Step At a Time
This list may seem overbearing, but take it one step at a time. Who knows, you may already be a master in a lot of these topics. The best advice I can give is to pick 1 or 2 and work on them until you feel comfortable to do more.
If you are not doing any of these 17 tips that is okay!
It does not mean that you can’t start today.
Every mother deserves to be happy in her motherhood journey, even during the difficult times. I want to share with you one of my all-time favorite quotes:
“Successful mothers are not the ones that have never struggled they are the ones who never give up, despite the struggles” – Sharon Jaynes
What is one tip you are going to try today? Let me know in the comments I would love to hear them!
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