As moms, we can often feel worn out from the day to day activities of caring for kids, especially if you have young ones who need constant vigilance. Here are sanity saving tips which are also mood boosters for YOU. This is all about building ways into your day to feel happier without resorting to hiring a babysitter. There is nothing wrong with getting babysitter of course if you need that, but this article does not make the assumption that you have the time or money to find a babysitter.
So let's move onto ways you can help yourself to have a better mood even when you feel ground down by the demands of parenting. This article is not about parenting hacks (although I do have a separate article on parenting hacks), but rather mom hacks for a happier you.
As a disclaimer, I am not a therapist or counselor, this is mom-to-mom advice. If you are struggling or think you might benefit from professional help, definitely see a therapist, counselor, or other licensed medical professional.
Intellectual stimulation
Be aware that the feeling of being tired of parenting may be coming not solely from a lack of sleep but also from having less intellectual stimulation in your day than you might prefer. This is particularly likely if you have gone straight from full time work to stay at home mom, but it can happen in general while looking after kids. So here are some neat sanity savers that will keep your brain happy and therefore boost your mood:
- Intellectual stimulation for the stay at home mom - here are a range of different options for how to build in some "me stuff" for your brain to work on while you still look after your children
- 10 awesome books for busy moms in a range of genres - these books are especially selected for their ability to be picked up and put down easily by busy moms without losing track of the plot. The plots are all exciting and fast-paced. They're available as ebooks so you can have them right with you on your phone and read a bit anytime, even in the few minutes that you're drinking your coffee.
Beauty and style
You can definitely still keep looking great even on little sleep and kids attached to you all day!
I love these hairstyles you can do in under 30 seconds from Victoria at the Byrdie blog.
Taking kids to the pool can be a mission for any mom, and all too often the last thing we think about is our own swim outfit. But don't worry! Here are ideas for cute modest swimwear for moms.
As you can see from these style hacks, you don't need to spend a lot of time or money to look good. Even if you're having a day where you feel like you look unglamorous, remember that true elegance is evident in how you carry yourself and how you act - not what you're wearing.
Dealing with stuff that might make you cry
Some of the worst times of parenting are when you start crying about something, but then you realize you're crying and you then cry about the fact you're crying. This is definitely a downhill spiral! We've all been there and done that. But wouldn't it be great if we could get a better handle on some of that stuff so we don't spiral downward? Here are some sanity savers for those triggers:
- How to deal with parenting criticism - this is going to be helpful for you if well-meaning family or friends don't agree with your parenting decisions. There you get helpful phrases you can use as responses.
- How to get things done as a parent without getting overwhelmed - if your stress instead comes from not being able to get everything done and not having enough hours in a day, then this is the article for you. It has helpful time-saving hacks for parents and lets you know what to do and what to let go of.
These two common triggers for being upset are definitely manageable with the tips I mentioned, even if you're the exhausted mother of a toddler. Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with just having a good cry every now and then! And as mentioned earlier, if this is more than a once in a while thing or a deeper level of unhappiness than what I've described by these triggers, it's a good idea to seek professional help.
Exercise
Even if it sounds like the last thing you want to do, exercise can help you get on top of that feeling that life is overwhelming. It needn't take up more than 10 minutes a day. The endorphins you get from exercise are a great boost for exhausted parents.
And yes, I show here how YOU can fit in exercise with a baby or toddler - without needing a babysitter.
Making your home a haven
Although it's easier said than done, it's good to make your home a safe haven. It's the best way to deal with feeling overwhelmed. Try to limit the amount of outside stress that gets brought into the home if possible. Here I mean a haven in terms of mood, I don't mean necessarily a perfectly decorated house or anything like that. Sure, you'll have kid meltdowns in your home, but you can still boost your happiness as a parent by corralling some of the chaos of stuff, clutter, and so on.
Also there are little things you can do in your day to help your place feel happier. The thing that made a huge difference to me was reading this Homemaking 101 article from A Virtuous Woman blog. You really will be able to feel better and have a home that is a haven by following the advice there.
If you have some clutter, even if the clutter is not visible, it can stress you out just knowing it's there or needing to be dealt with. Don't worry! I have been there, done that. Read about why the Kondo decluttering method did not work for me, and what worked instead to declutter our home (it's surprisingly manageable!)
Try to see your home as a place where everyone is safe (emotionally and physically) and put in some work to make that happen. Again, it doesn't make kid tantrums less likely to happen but feeling the house as a safe place does help boost your mood and that of your household members.
Conclusion
It is definitely possible to make your own day better while caring for your children! The sanity saving tips above are all very do-able and once you weave them into your day, life will seem a lot happier and a lot more manageable.
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