If you ask any mom if being a mother makes her
happy, no doubt she will say yes. This will probably be immediately followed by
stories and multiple pictures of her child or children. But while she may feel
fulfilled as a parent and in love with her children, there can be many other
aspects of her life that cause stress. Being a parent often means sleepless
nights, disagreements with your spouse, anxiety, or self-esteem issues with
post-baby body. Having children around brings so much joy! However being a parent
is only one aspect of your life. All those other parts of life can take their
toll. We allneed to take some time outand even make changes to our lives to make sure that we can be
the best wife and mother possible.
If feeling stressed as a parent is ringing a
bell, then here are some things that can help you to be a happier person and a
happier mom. Life is never going to be perfect, but there are things you can do
to make sure you enjoy it to the full.
Admit When You Need Help
This is one of the things that is hardest for
me. We can all feel stressed or overwhelmed at certain times in our life,
especially as a new mom. So don’t be afraid to ask for help or admit that you
are feeling a little stressed. It is completely normal to feel a little
stressed or frustrated at times, and if you do, it certainly doesn’t make you a
bad mom!
Try to Prioritize Sleep
Sleep and being a momsound like a little bit of an oxymoron, right? But our sleep, or lack of it
can, can play a big part in how we feel overall. It can make use more irritable
and find it harder to enjoy things. I don’t
know if you’ve heard of the word ‘hangry’ which means being hungry makes
you angry, but I tell my husband I am ‘tangry’ (being tired makes me angry). So
even if you have a child that doesn’t sleep through the night, try going to bed
earlier. Take naps if you need to, and focus on getting the rest that you need.
My oldest daughter is way past taking naps, but she still has a ‘quiet time’
when she looks at books and plays quietly in her room. If Aveline is sleeping,
I get a chance to take a break, and maybe even a nap!
Volunteer or Serve Others
A great thing to do for your self-esteem,
confidence, and happiness, is to get out of your comfort zone a little bit. One
way to do that is to look for somegreat
volunteer positionsin your local area,
or looking for ways to serve and help others. It means time away from home, a
little time to yourself, and is a great example to your kids too. Your focus
will be on other people and their worries and needs, and yours will seem small
in comparison. It can be a great stress-reliever too. You can even volunteer as
a family and spend quality time together to teach your children good values.
Rethink Your Priorities
Some of the time, a lot of the stress or
expectations that can cause us to get a little down, are the things that we put
on ourselves. I take on way too much by thinking I need to keep the house
clean, always make a home cooked dinner, and take time to do a fun activity
with my daughters each day. Then I feel overwhelmed about trying to fit in
blogging, exercise, and all the errands I need to run! But when we rethink our
priorities, and focus on the things we are doing, it is going to help us to be
happier and healthier. The house doesn’t always need to be picked up. Laundry
can (probably) wait until tomorrow. Prioritize what is really important and do
that!
