Do you wish you could be a calm and happy mom? I know I do! There are some days that it is just difficult to be calm. But that doesn’t mean that every day has to be that way. There are steps we can take to change our day and be the mom we want to be.
I’ve found 15 things that help me reach my goal of being a happier and calmer mom.
How To Be A Calm And Happy Mom
Being a mom is TOUGH! And some days are harder than others. I’ve found that making sure that I take care of myself is key to being the mom I want to be. Especially on the hard days.
So without further ado, here are my 15 secrets that help prevent burnout and make me feel less stressed.
1. Wake Up Early
I know it’s hard to get up early, especially if you’re kids are still waking up in the middle of the night but if you’re able to, waking up early can make a huge difference in your day.
When I wake up early and schedule time for myself, I’m much more capable of handling the day to day stuff. I like to have a morning routine that involves exercise, writing in my gratitude journal, getting ready for the day and working on my blog.
It just really helps me set my day and makes me feel less stressed.
2. Practice Gratitude
I’m sure you’ve heard about the benefits of gratitude. Practicing daily gratitude is associated with overall greater happiness.
Many people notice that practicing daily gratitude helps them be more positive, sleep better, deal with problems better and some people even notice health improvements.
3. Meditate
Have you ever mediated? I admit that when I started meditating it was kind of hard for me. I would just sit there and think about everything I should be doing during that time.
For me, a guided meditation works great. I need someone to walk me through it or my mind will race.
4. Ask For Help
It takes a village, as they say. Why do we think we can do it all ourselves? Trying to do everything ourselves isn’t just impossible, its a recipe for anxiety.
One of my goals this year is to ask for help whenever I can. This has been hard for me in the past because I don’t want to burden people. But I’ve found that my people genuinely want to help!
5. Eat Healthy
Eating healthy makes such a huge difference in how we feel. I can definitely tell a difference when I eat better. I feel less sluggish and have more energy!
I personally try to do the 80 percent rule. So 80 percent of what I eat is healthy. I know that it’s not realistic for me to try to eat healthy all of the time and honestly in the past trying to eat healthy ALL of the time has just set me up for failure.
I need a little wiggle room! 80/20!
6. Get Enough Sleep
Oh sleep…. how I struggle. I honestly think this is the hardest part for me. When I get enough sleep, I’m better equipped to handle motherhood.
I also believe sleep has a trickle down affect. When I don’t get enough sleep, not only do I have a harder time dealing with everyday life but then I also start eating worse, which in turn makes me feel worse.
One thing that has been helping me to sleep better is cutting down on caffeine. I’m actually trying to quite caffeine altogether. If that’s not for you, no big deal! Just cutting down might help you get the sleep you need.
I’m also trying really hard to not be on my phone right before bed. I’ve noticed that I have a hard time sleeping if I spend too much time on social media right before bed.
7. Drink Enough Water
Do you drink enough water throughout the day? Getting enough water in can help with your energy levels.
I’ve noticed that when I’m feeling sluggish during the day, drinking water helps.
I bought a water jug to help me make sure I’m getting enough water in. Some people find that having a water jug with the fluid ounces or motivational markers helps them to make sure they’re getting the recommended amount of water in. I like this water jug!
8. Create Routines
Creating a routine can help both you and your kids. I feel less anxious when I know that I’m working towards my goals and taking better care of myself.
My morning routine involves waking up before the kids so I have “me” time. My routine includes; exercising, practicing gratitude, and getting ready for my day. This helps me reach my goal of taking better care of my mind, body, and soul.
When the kids wake up, I’m accomplished some of my goals for the day and don’t feel stressed about not getting my workout in for the day.
9. Plan Day The Night Before
Planning your day the night before can really help reduce anxiety. If I know what needs to get done, what appointments we have and how much time I’ll need to get it done, I feel more prepared to take on life.
I’m a planner. I always have been and I truly believe that planning is the best way to be the most productive and can help you reach your goals.
I personally like to use the planner I created. Shameless plug. Ha! I created this planner around becoming the best version of myself.
10. Exercise
Did you know that when you exercise it increases endorphins, dopamine, and adrenaline? These are all chemicals that are associated with feeling happy. Exercise is known for relieving stress, improving memory, and helping you sleep better!
As a mom, I feel like I’m constantly on the move so the thought of exercising isn’t the most appealing thing to me. BUT I know that I feel much better when I dedicate time to exercise.
I have fitness goals that I’m trying to reach and having a dedicated plan to reach those goals is important to me. So I make sure to include exercise in my morning routine.
Another plus side to exercising is that I have more energy when I work out which allows me to do more with my kids.
11. One On One Time With Kids
One on one time with your kids is really important. Not just for your kids but also for you! How much of your day is spent just doing the day to day tasks? Taking time to do something with your kids will make YOU feel more connected with your kids. And your kids will love it!
Spending as little as 20 minutes a day with your child can have huge impacts on your relationship with your kid.
I know that my kids feel better and actually behave better when I dedicate time for just them. I also feel better as well. It’s great to have time to get to know them better and it’s a perfect opportunity to have deep meaningful conversations.
12. Spend Quality Time With Significant Other
This is a really important as a parent. We tend to spend a good chunk of our time on the kids or household, work responsibilities and it can leave us feeling drained.
Making sure that I spend quality time with my husband actually makes me feel energized and better equipped to handle life. I love taking the time to talk about my hopes and dreams and planning our future together. It makes me feel more connected with him!
13. Spend Time With Friends
Another important thing to do is spend time with friends. I like to schedule time with my friends without our kids. It’s so nice to talk without having to worry about little ears hearing our conversation. Ha!
Having that connection with my friends helps me so much. I oftentimes come home feeling refreshed and calmer.
14. Take A Break From Social Media
This is so important. I know I spend way to much time on social media and I’m trying to break that habit.
I know that when I spend too much time on social media I feel more anxious and less happy.
But how do you stop spending so much time on social media? Here are a few tips:
- Don’t wake up and immediately get on social media. Start your day off right and do things that bring you joy and help you feel calm.
- Turn off social media notifications.
- Do a social media detox. Sometimes just spending a week off social media can help you sort of “reset’ and get you back to a healthy amount of social media usage.
- Create certain times of the day that you CAN get on.
- Think about dedicating a day or weekend to be social media free.
- Delete the apps off of your phone.
- Don’t use your phone for one hour before bed. This will also help your sleep so win-win!
15. Schedule Time To Worry
This might sound weird but it’s a trick my therapist taught me. Every day have an alarm set to “worry” for 15 minutes. Imagine that you have a worry box. During that scheuled time, open the box and worry about the things that are making you anxious.
When the time is up, put the worries back into the box. If you come across things that make you anxious throughout the day, put them into the box to worry about later.
At first, it’s kind of weird to do this exercise but after doing it for a while, it really helps. I feel less anxious throughout my day which translates to a happier mom!
Plus is really puts things in perspective. I often find that when I go back to my worry box, those things aren’t as big of a deal as I thought.
Take Time To Implement One Thing
I hope these tips have helped you. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed with everything so I suggest to take one thing, implement it, and see if it helps!
Sometimes just changing a few of your habits can make a big impact in your life and before you know it, you’ll be on your way to being a calm and happy mom!
Is there anything that you would add?
