My Secrets to Staying Calm as a Mum
It’s safe to say that motherhood does change your life, as all mothers would know. It is by far one of the most rewarding parts of my life and we cherish each day with our little boy. If I’m completely honest however, it can be really challenging at times. I’ve found that staying calm can be difficult when you have an upset baby, worrying about what healthy food to put on the table for your family, and managing an ever-growing email inbox. Here’s my little secrets that have helped me stay calm, present and grounded through my motherhood journey so far.
Release Expectations
This one is particularly handy for new mums as well. It can be easy to place the same expectations on yourself as before you became a mother. You think you can still work as much, play as much and sleep just as much! Unfortunately sometimes this just doesn’t happen, as babies can be unpredictable. If you don’t get to the gym one day because you’ve had a bad night with your baby, that’s totally OK. The less pressure you place on yourself, the less you will beat yourself up when things don’t go your way.
Notice the Comparison Trap
You see a friend for lunch and find out their baby is sleeping through the night. Or you scroll on Instagram and wonder ‘how that Mum’s white shirt is so clean?’, or ‘how on earth is her stomach so flat so soon after birth?’ Comparison can be a huge issue for women, especially with social media nowadays. The key is to notice when you might be comparing yourself to others and get yourself out of this state. It might be to stop using Instagram for a while, or to take yourself for a long walk or gym class. Comparing yourself to others will only increase your anxiety as a Mum, especially if it makes you feel like you’re not ‘where you should be’. Trust that you’re on the right path, and we both know you’re doing the best you can.
Be Nice to Yourself
It’s easy to start thinking that you should be doing better. That your baby should be sleeping more, or that you should be breastfeeding more. And what’s harder is that people will tell you what they think you SHOULD be doing too. Amongst all of this, it’s really important that you stay kind to yourself. You just birthed a child. You are keeping that child alive 24/7. That in itself is an amazing feat as it can be really hard some days. So please, speak as kindly to yourself as you can because you are doing an amazing job, I promise you that.
Have you you found your motherhood journey so far? I would love to hear your thoughts – let me know if the comments or visit me on Facebook.
