Hey guys! Have you missed me?
I know it really hasn’t been THAT long since my last post, but to me it feels like forever ago. I don’t want you to think I have been MIA, instead I have been taking some much needed ME time. And today I want to talk about how I got to that place, as well as knowing what to do.
Know your limits
It has been a STRUGGLE of mine to learn when to say no, or that I really can’t do everything. Being a mom, wife, business owner, and employee, is just the tip of the iceberg. I know I’m not the only one who goes through this daily internal battle, so that’s why I’m here.
The past few months I have been running on fumes, honestly barely making it through the day. I felt stretched thin, unproductive, and inefficient. By the time the day was over I could feel myself just dragging to bed. It wasn’t fair to my kids, it wasn’t fair to my husband, and it wasn’t fair to ME. So I knew I had to change things up.
Prioritize your responsibilities and delegate where possible
Once I got to the point where I knew something had to change, I stepped back to evaluate my responsibilities. Where do I need to focus the most? And what can I delegate?
Of course the most important hat that I wear is being a mom, so that’ll always come first. With that being said, it’s nearly impossible to be a good mom when you are constantly being pulled in different directions. So I did a few things to help:
- I reached out for help with childcare. My kids started going to the most AMAZING woman two days a week for four hours. And let me tell you, these eight hours a week are god sent for my productivity.
- Made dedicated meeting times. In the past I have always been one to be accommodating to everyone else’s schedule… except my own. I made meetings during times that were completely out of reach, and I was stressed to the max when there wasn’t anyone to help with my kids. Between trying to lead a call and praying my kids stay quiet, I could feel the metaphorical volcano building. So take my advise and be somewhat selfish with your time. Make those appointments when you have help, and when works best for you.
- Allotting time for your kids. This probably sounds silly, but I put activities and quality time with my boys on the calendar. Each day I set a few hours where I don’t have my phone for work, and it’s just us. Having my undivided attention is not only important to my boys, but it’s astronomical the difference it makes in how I feel as a parent.
Finding an out
Have you ever felt like something was missing and you couldn’t put your finger on it?
As a mom we often lose ourselves to our children. Which is TOTALLY normal. But recently I knew I needed to do something for myself, something that I have always loved.
For some people this could be daily devotionals or meditation. But for me it’s always been fitness. So I took the proverbial leap into crossfit.
And let me tell you, not only was my need for exercise filled, but I finally got to feed the inner competitive animal. I have always been in competitive sports, atleast until I became a mom. So I never realized how much I missed that part of me until now. I’m not only improving physically, but my mental health is making upward bounds.
I could probably sit here all day and talk about recent life changes, but I think I’ve left you with a great place to start. And remember, there is never going to be a “good” time to make changes. Now is the time, so make those positive adjustments today!
