14 Stressed Out Mom Tips to Have a Better Day
The words mom and stress seem to go hand in hand, but there are ways to make it better. Here are 14 stressed out mom tips to have a better day.
I think we can all agree the world is pretty stressful today. Not to mention, it seems everything is conspiring against us to make it more and more stressful.
And, as a mother, we have the added stress of worrying where all this will leave our children in 5, 10, 15 years.
Yet, we’re also responsible for making today as productive and calm as possible for our family. We have to give motivational speeches and keep everyone moving forward into a future we can’t even imagine (or if we do, it isn’t pretty).
However, we need a motivational speech, but more than likely, it will have to come from ourselves. Being a mother is playing the long game with no end in sight. You change forever and can never be the person you were before. But that’s okay, would we even like that person?
When you’re stressed out, one of the best things we can do is gain control of ourselves and our time. The world may be crazy, but the only thing I have real control over is myself. So that’s where I’m starting, with some simple stressed out mom tips.
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Set a Goal
Goal setting seems like an overtired exercise that I’ve never been very good at, and becoming a mother didn’t make it any easier.
Lately, I’ve been listening to Hal Elrod’s podcast, Achieving Your Goals, on my morning walk, and I love his take on goals. When we set goals, we list the endpoint but rarely break it down to what we actually have to do to make it a reality.
There are also two other mistakes we make:
- We don’t keep track of our goals. We pull them out later and forget we even thought of them.
- We focus on the short-term. Our weight is dropping fast enough, so we give up.
From Hal, I’ve learned to set the goal, lay out the steps, and commit to the process no matter what, for as long as it takes.
What’s something you have needed to accomplish for quite a while, however perhaps relaxed on? Regardless of whether it’s figuring out how to bake a cake from scratch or losing that next difficult 20 pounds, commit to the process, and the result will come.
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I’ve Got This!
You need to get up each day and tell yourself, “I’ve got this”! Then, what we tell ourselves becomes a reality.
“In the event that you have order, drive, and determination…nothing is outlandish,” Dana Linn Bailey.
With clear goals and commitment to the process, anything can be accomplished, even homeschooling your children. Your objectives are reachable if you commit to the process each day. You will accomplish them regardless of what anybody says if we remember our goal and act in accordance each day.
Make a Plan – Maybe
We’ve all heard the phrases, “start with the end in mind,” or “if your fail to plan, you plan to fail.” However, these phrases aren’t motivating for me; if anything, they make me not even start pursuing a goal.
I have realized that planning is a stall tactic many of us (ME!) implement to keep up from actually having to do. We don’t have to plan out every step along the way to our goal, and feeling as if we do prevents us from the beginning. Instead, what is the next step, and do it. Taking an imperfect messy step forward is better than sitting around thinking of every possible thing we need to do and imagining all the pitfalls.
Keep Moving Forward
This is when our commitment to the process of achieving our goal must be greater than our short-term results.
Sometimes it takes years for a person to become an overnight success.
Prince
There are very few overnight successes; we only hear about the success part, not the years of hard work and struggle. But with each day we move forward, we’re getting closer to our own overnight success.
Remeber Why You Started
You may not feel tough at the moment, but you are. We all are, but we’ve rarely been asked to tap into our tough side. Humans are resilient and will find a way when the chips are down.
If you feel like quitting, we all will, but remember, you don’t have to quit. You can keep going even though it’s hard and you want to cry. Cry and keep going!
Better than Yesterday
Yesterday you were crying, but today is a new day, and it can be whatever you make it. It can be better than yesterday, and if you’ve been committed to the process of achieving your goal, it will be better than last week or last month.
It can be hard to see the small improvements in the day-to-day but keep track of your progress. Then, when you look back, you’ll be able to appreciate how far you’ve come.
“No influence is so powerful as that of the mother.” – Sarah Josepha Hale
As a mom, you are the most powerful being on earth. As of today, no one would even exist without mothers (though I guess that could change any day now).
Everyone is influenced by their moms, and this can feel overwhelming at times. It can make everything seem more urgent and important. But it’s in the small things that mothers hold such great influence. You don’t have to move mountains for your children’s love and approval. Usually, it would help if you played in the dirt with them.
Moms Mess Up, Too
We have all thought that we are screwing it up. With the craziness of the world, I particularly feel like I’ve made some big mistakes. But my opinion has always been that if you’re a mom who’s worried about whether she’s doing a good job or not, you are.
We do our best, and we teach our children everything we can. We might mess up at times, but it wasn’t because we weren’t trying. We do the best we can at any given time.
You are doing a great job, no matter how it feels in the moment.
Messy, but Good
Messes (literal and figurative) do not make you a bad mom. It’s part of life. We all have messes, finances, relationships, housekeeping, etc. They come and go. Finding peace with the mess is one of the best stressed out mom tips.
These things only show us where our strengths and weaknesses are. They will be overcome and may take time, but you’re still a great mom in the middle of the mess. To keep moving forward is the important part.
Happy Mom, Not Perfect Mom
With all the stress in the world, being a happy mom can be tough. I’ve struggled every day with being happy, it seems. It’s taken me 47 years, but I’m finally beginning to understand that happiness doesn’t reside in the circumstances. It resides in us. We have to decide to be happy at every moment.
Being happy is what your children will remember about their childhood. The happier you are, the happier your children will be.
Something Special Awaits
Could it be that something special awaits you each day? Perhaps, all you need is to do is recognize it and make the most of your day. Look for the little things that bring a bit of joy. Have a positive attitude throughout the day and think, “today is the best day of my life.”
This is the biggest of the stressed out mom tips! The moment right now is all we have; we need to find peace in it.
Be the Person You Want Your Children to Become
Every day we have children that are looking to us. Our children will model us and do what we do. Yikes!
They don’t always listen and do what we tell them, but you will certainly see yourself in your actions if you pay attention. So today, strive to be the person you want them to become.
I’ve noticed this is even more necessary as they become teenagers and you see all the things you dislike about yourself appearing in them. For example, I want my children to be healthy, so I’m working to be healthy. I want my children to be creative and capable, so I’m using my creativity and doing. I want my children to be brave, so I try to be brave.
It’s funny how that works.
Accept Your Children as They Are
After 19 years of being a parent and doing a decent job of accepting them as they are, I have an addition to add to this statement. Accept them as they are, but inspire them to be better.
Yes, we accept children as they are, but we all change. My newest book to read is Personality Isn’t Permanent by Benjamin Hardy. I listened to a podcast where he was a guest and was inspired by his thoughts. We label ourselves and create our identity, which is separate from personality.
It’s easy to do the same things with our kids. I’ve always hated labeling kids, but human nature seems to want to do it. So resist labeling and instead inspire change.
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We Don’t Always Like People (Even Our Kids)
Confession time: most moms have moments where they do not like their children.
Whether you admit it or not, you know sometimes you don’t like the things they do. We’re people; they’re people; it happens, and it’s okay. We have all been there, and we still love our children no matter what.
Perhaps that annoyance is an area where we should all focus as a family on improving? I have found this to be true in my family. If I do not like certain things they do, perhaps it’s something we should work on.
The Toughest Job
As moms, we are often hard on ourselves and give up when things get tough. It can be challenging to find time for yourself and still take care of your children’s needs. Sometimes it feels like you are a short-order cook with everyone in the family demanding their own special meal!
One day at a time, keep doing what you’re doing. You are doing a great job that you may never fully understand the importance of.
What are some of your stressed out mom tips?
