Moms are known for juggling a thousand tasks at once, and it seems that they always know what’s best. There’s no doubt that moms are key to making a house a home and function, in most instances, as the CEO of the family.
After a while though, this pace can be exhausting. Eventually, you have to stop and take a break to care for yourself and recharge your battery. If you’re constantly wearing yourself thin, it can start to take a toll on your mental and physical health.
Coping with Stress
We’ve all been there. That moment where the snowball turns into an avalanche and everything just hits you at once. Usually, it’s after you’ve already made dinner, cleaned the house, and worked all day when your child runs up to you telling you about the huge project that’s due in the morning.
It’s enough to make you pull your hair out! When stress hits like this, it’s important to take a step back and breathe. As moms, we tend to think that we can do everything ourselves and that asking for help may be shameful.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Often, there are friends, family, and spouses that are willing and able to help, but they are not always aware we need it. Just because we’re mind readers doesn’t make everyone else one. Ask for the break.
Some great ways to relax and recharge are:
- Read a book
- Pick up a hobby
- Go for a walk or a run
- Give yourself a Mani/Pedi
- Watch a few episodes of your favorite show alone
- Make your favorite snack and eat it without sharing
- Take a luxury bath with bath bombs, candles, and music
Regardless of how you choose to spend your time, make sure that you get a few hours every week to be alone to do whatever makes you happy. By taking care of yourself first, it makes it so much easier to take care of everyone else.
“It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” – Mandy Hale, author of The Single Woman Blog
Helping Your Kids Understand and Cope
Remember that your kids think you’re the greatest person ever, even if you don’t always feel that way. This is a confusing time for them, so it’s important to be honest with them and answer their questions. Even if you leave out some details, being informed can help them cope better with being at home.
Another great way to get some assistance and make them feel useful is to have them pitch in with some chores around the house. Especially for little kids, being able to help sweep, do laundry, or feed the pets can help you bond and spend time together.
Taking breaks from the chores and work to just sit and play or watch a movie with them can help the family feel more in tune as well. It’s also good to keep in touch with family through video calls to help them feel more connected.
It’s important to remember, even though they’re not adults, they still have thoughts and feelings that need to be heard. Sometimes, just knowing that they can talk to you can make a difference in attitude.
Tips from Other Moms We Interviewed
It often helps to know that you’re not alone. Others are going through this crazy and monumental time with you. Though you may not know them, these moms understand your struggles and have some words of wisdom to offer.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned during all this is that it’s ok to not do everything! Leave the laundry till tomorrow so you don’t get burned out. You’re still a great mom if the dishes don’t get done tonight!” – Hannah A.
“Take a break! Have your mom or husband watch the kids for an hour or two and just relax! Take a bath or a super long shower. Listen to music and dance! We like to think we’re superwomen, but even heroes need breaks!” – Janelle G.
“Find a friend that you can vent with. Call them and just talk and get things off your chest. It really helps me to keep my cool when I know I have someone I can blow off steam with.” – Carrie C.
Make Your Health A Priority
Please make sure that you take care of yourself first and foremost. As a wise person once said:
“Remember to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.” -Unknown
This means to not only take care of your mental and emotional needs but also to take care of yourself physically.
Primary care and preventive care are always important — but even more so during a pandemic. Other illnesses, health concerns, and ailments haven’t gone away as a result of COVID-19.
Keeping yourself safe from COVID-19 should not, and does not have to, happen at the expense of your non-COVID-19 related health.
Checkups are an easy and essential way to ensure you take care of your whole self. Getting care such as immunizations, annual exams and physicals, bloodwork, and more give you peace of mind that you are healthy and well.
We know that some people are uncomfortable with the idea of going to a doctor’s office right now because of the pandemic. We want to assure you that at Heartland Women’s Healthcare we place a high priority and emphasis on ensuring that our offices are cleaned regularly and that we take every precaution to keep our staff and patients safe.
We also offer video-based telemedicine appointments for many circumstances so that we can give you the best care possible without you having to leave the comfort of your home.
Eventually, this will pass, as all things do and the world will go back to normal. In the meantime, make sure that you’re taking care of yourself so that you can continue to be the amazing mother you are!
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire Universe, deserve your love and affection.” – Buddha