top 3 habits for a sane stay at home mom
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When I made the choice to leave my career behind and become a full-time stay-at-home Mom, I never realized how difficult it would be. I envisioned the glory of spending every moment with my newborn son and never having to leave him with some stranger at daycare while I went off to work. The idea of being able to be there for all the firsts was so exciting; first smile, first laugh, first time sitting up, etc. Looking back to all of those firsts, I am so happy to have been able to stay at home and enjoy them all. It’s a part of motherhood that can never be replaced.
a stay-at-home mom's day can be overwhelming
As stay-at-home Moms, we can all agree that we never expected staying home to be so insanely crazy. There are days when I enjoy every moment and wouldn’t want life to be any different. There are other days that I feel completely overwhelmed and unfulfilled. It can be so difficult to keep up with daily activities, school and household chores all while keeping your kids from killing each other. It’s time to look for new habits to help you stay calm and feel happy.
If you’ve been wondering how other stay-at-home Moms add healthy habits to their day, you’ve come to the right place. Most stay-at-home Moms have one thing in common; it’s the fact that our work is never done. We work from morning till night folding clothes, changing diapers and entertaining little ones but at the end of the day, there is always that one more thing to get done.
take time for yourself, it's so important
For some stay-at-home Moms, this may be hard to hear, but “You need a time out.” At some point you will begin to feel overwhelmed and overworked if you don’t take time for you. You may be a stay-at-home Mom, but you are still your own person. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in our everyday lives that we don’t take the time to realize that. So here is a list of healthy habits every stay-at-home Mom needs to have in order to keep the sanity and be happy.
laugh often
Yes Laugh! We don’t realize how important it is to laugh. Believe it or not this can be a hard one. Some days are just so stressful. As time passes, the tension seems to rise, and I find I can’t laugh at a single thing by the end of the day. But the truth is, laughing can relieve a lot of built-up stress.
In fact, laughing fills your body with more oxygen which in turn stimulates your organs and increases the number of endorphins being sent to your brain. Laughing also calms your stress response which helps lower your heart rate and blood pressure. As a result, you are left feeling soothed and more relaxed.
do some fun activities together
Take some time to read a funny story, watch a funny video or even tell jokes. In our house my kids have their own joke books. They have so much fun reading jokes and trying to guess the punchline. They’ve read these books over and over but still laugh every time. Another fun idea we really enjoy is watching funny tv shows at the end of the day. The kids get into their pajamas, and we all watch and laugh together. It makes me feel so much better after a long stressful day and they get a little time to relax before bedtime.
get out of the house
This was a tough one for me when my kids were babies but it’s so important. I had so much guilt around not being there for them even if it was just for an hour. As they got older, I realized how good it was to be apart. It gave us all a recharge and gave me my sanity back. After being gone for an hour or two, my kids were happy to see me again and I felt more able to handle the rest of our daily activities. There are so many things you can do to get out of the house and gain back your sanity.
Get dressed up and meet a friend for lunch
Get together with a group of Moms and have coffee
Treat yourself to a new outfit
Get your nails done
Go to the gym (my favorite)
Take yourself to a spa for a facial or your favorite treatment
Go to the movies
Visit a farmer’s market
Take a painting or drawing class
exercise
Get Moving! Exercise is one of the best ways to keep you feeling mentally and physically healthy. It helps clear your mind and keeps you feeling happy. It tones your muscles, lowers your blood pressure and helps with weight management. When you make exercise one of your daily habits, you will start seeing the many benefits it has to offer.
I love working out. It is my go-to activity for feeling less stressed and gaining my sanity back. I started out doing exercise videos at home during my kids’ naptime and realized how much better I felt after just a 20-minute workout. It gave me the energy I needed to get through the afternoon even on days when I didn’t have much sleep. I started adding workouts into my daily routine and managed to do some type of movement at least 3 times a week. I began to feel stronger and more toned each week. It felt good to know I was working on getting my pre-pregnancy body back and de-stressing at the same time!
When my kids started school, I realized that I could squeeze in more exercise time around their schedules. I joined a gym and started going just once a week while still doing my videos at home. Fast forward a couple of years and I am now going to the gym 3 times a week and working out at home twice. My weekends are my rest days although I try to get in a walk if the weather is good. Exercise is so important. It makes me feel relaxed and stronger than ever.
You may have lots of days where you feel unfulfilled and stuck in the stay-at-home Mom rut. By making small changes to your everyday life, you’ll feel so much happier. Adding good habits can change your mood and help you keep your sanity. Try all of these, or just one and you will feel the amazing difference.
Want to read more? Check out my blog at thebusybeeatkimberlys.com.
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