Let’s just cut to the quick, here: Motherhood can make us crazy. Mom Brain is not just an expression. I am totally convinced that it’s REAL. Honestly, I was tired of being exhausted and impatient, and our home being so chaotic all the time. It inevitably always ended in tears – either my kids’ tears or my own. Dang it. I was done living that way.
So, in an effort to become, frankly, a less crazy version of myself, I set out to choose 5 habits to either tweak or introduce into my daily life. I didn’t do it all at once (and I wouldn’t advise that you do, either). But, I did eventually end up HERE, which is a place where I can acknowledge those 5 things and know that they were well worth the effort. And, they are things that I will continue to do daily.
Disclaimer: I am SO far from perfect, and there are still days that I fall short as a momma and as a person. There are definitely days when all of these habits just don’t fit in. But on MOST days, they do, and on those days, life just feels a little bit less crazy.
1.Wake up Early: It’s tough to find the rhythm of this at first. If you don’t have a day job other than “momming,” the motivation to wake up early can be hard to find. But I knew that I needed to make the time to wake up on my own -nice and slowly with the sunrise and hot cup of coffee – instead of being woken up to the immediate demands of motherhood. I also have more time to pack lunches and even get a few chores done before the kiddos wake up.
2. Think About Dinner in the Morning: The day often gets away from us, and before we know it, it’s 4:30 in the afternoon and we have a house full of hungry, grumpy people. I realized that our after school hours (between 3pm and 6pm) were the most chaotic of the day, and I was tired of trying to figure out what the heck to feed everyone when I, myself, was exhausted and ready for a mental break.
Even if I don’t pre-prep dinner (like throwing meat in the crock pot, etc), I am still so much more calm, just knowing what I will be preparing. I can pull out what I need from the freezer, make sure we have what we need, etc. Trust that this does NOT equate to a gourmet meal every night. Today, as I write this, I have decided that we are having a “clean out the fridge” dinner. This means leftovers, sandwiches, etc. And, I am ok with that! It’s out of the way now so I can focus on other things on my to-do list.
3. Drink Enough Water: “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Whoever coined that phrase was really dang spot on. As mothers, our kids look to us to be the “mood-setters.” Tell me the last time that you were super cranky but everyone else in your house had a fabulous day. Can’t remember that happening, ever? Me, neither.
I realize this seems like a tangent, but it is ALL in line with the idea that we just cannot pour from an empty cup. Simply: if we feel physically awful (hello, 2pm headache and crash), the house and everyone in it falls apart. I was tired of that happening, of not being able to eagerly listen to how my kids’ days at school went, of hardly being awake enough to cook dinner at 5pm.
Thankfully, I really know my body and I know something as CRAZY EASY as drinking enough water ( I aim for 80-100oz a day) would help. It has helped SO much. I feel physically and mentally better, and I don’t crash nearly as hard in the afternoons. That is SO worth the extra trips to the bathroom all day long. Ha!
4. 15 Minute Evening Clean-Up: Right before we do our night time snack/jammies/reading/brush teeth routine, we set a timer for 15 minutes and we ALL participate in picking up the house. SO MUCH can get done in 15 minutes when all 4 of us participate (ahem…our 4 year old falls off track sometimes, but that is a-ok. Let them be little.).
The result is usually a clutter-free house, dishes done, bathrooms picked up and ready for the morning rush, laundry in hampers, toys put up, and counters cleared for making lunches the next day. It just helps everything flow so nicely, and 15 minutes is NOTHING. We even do it to music some days, and we dance and clean 🙂 Try it! You will be amazed at how much you can pick up/wipe down/ straighten in 15 minutes!
5. Shower at Night: Self-care, self-care, self-care. I like being able to get the kids off to school and then hit all my errands right away. Especially in the hot summers here, you have to hit the ground running first thing so you can avoid the heat. But even during the cooler months, it’s a more efficient use of my time and gasoline to run all my errands early. I *do* like to look somewhat put together when I get out and about, and showering at night saves me some (mostly hair-related) minutes in the morning. I also love being able to just wash off the day and do all of my skincare before bed. Lastly, I feel like I sleep better after a shower. Yesssss. More self-care. All good things.
What is something you do daily that helps you to feel more peaceful and happy?