How to Avoid Overwhelm As A Stay-at-Home Mom
Are you feeling overwhelmed as a stay-at-home mom? If you are a mom, chances are at some point you have felt exhausted and overwhelmed and of course, you want to avoid these feelings. This post will detail how to avoid overwhelm as a stay-at-home mom using self-care.
Being a stay-at-home mom is messy and exhausting, but most of all, rewarding as we wipe those jelly faces and give our toddler the second bath of the day after that big blow-out diaper.
As moms, we spend so much time taking care of the littles, that after a long day, there is often little energy left to spend any time on our needs.
This is an exhausting cycle that can make the best of busy super moms feel overwhelmed and down. Yet, using some mindfulness and the tips below you can turn things around and not just “make it through the day” but enjoy the chaotic battles motherhood brings. Learning how to relax as a stay-at-home mom is essential for your well-being and self-care needs.
Let’s face it, motherhood is hard. Here’s how to stay positive & overcome the stresses of the day
My Day
After having my second child, my overwhelm and exhaustion grew. I am sure if you have more than one kiddo you can relate.
Often my second baby would wake up around 2 AM wanting to be fed and I would try to go back to bed for a bit. Then my first baby would wake up at 7:00 AM so my day would start. Exhausted as I was, I would get up and make child #1 breakfast and change his diaper, get him dressed, and have a battle about the diaper change and brushing his teeth.
I would then get child #2 up, change his diaper, feed him (I was still nursing), burp him and clean up the spit up because he had reflux.
By 9 AM I was already exhausted and anticipating naptime.
But the laundry needed to be done and after through in those stinky burp clothes, I would try to do some dishes so the kitchen didn’t become an utter mess.
I would then try to get my kids out to a park, so I could see the light of day and this was often easier since my oldest would dump out every little toy he owned and demolish the house.
By lunchtime, I would feed them and get them both down for a nap. Juggling two at nap time is not easy, so I would allow my oldest to watch a cartoon while I put down the baby, and then it was his turn, which was a battle because he did not like nap time. At all.
By noon, I needed a nap. This went on throughout the day until I was trying to remember what else I was supported to do that day with the mommy fog I acquired.
Motherhood is downright hard.
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7 Steps To Avoiding Overwhelm As A Stay-At-Home Mom
This article is written with the aim of providing some guidelines for stay-at-home moms so that they can avoid feeling overwhelmed. The article discusses 7 steps that moms can take to avoid overwhelm. Keep reading to bring joy back into your stay-at-home mom’s day.
1. Acknowledge the problem
If you are feeling exhausted with a scoop of overwhelm, admitting there is an issue is the first step to taking action and creating a better existence for you.
You can acknowledge the problem to a spouse, trusted family member, or dear friend. Yet, if you are more of an introvert, you can journal your thoughts on what the problem is.
Try writing down your frustrations and asking yourself why you feel this way.
Once you have your “why” you can move ahead to the next step.
2. Accept help
I am not big on accepting help, but as I age, I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to accept help. You do not have to do it all and if people are willing to help, take them up on it at least once in a while.
If you need a break, see if your friend can watch the kids and take a spa day.
If you’re struggling with cooking, ask your spouse to make something simple because mama is simply too tired. I often do this when I am feeling depleted and my husband makes some mean taquitos, but hey, at least we all ate, and no one had a meltdown!
Find ways others can support and help you and give yourself a break. Remember, as a mom, some things got to give. If you don’t let go of some of these things you want to control and take care of, you will run yourself into the ground.
Let your hubby or partner change the diaper, even if you don’t like the way they do it.
3. Set boundaries
If you are already feeling overwhelmed at home, setting boundaries is key. If you feel you can’t handle or take on more, you must tell the people asking NO.
It can be hard if someone at your church is used to you volunteering, or if a friend constantly needs advice. But once you have a child, they are the priority and other things must take a back-burner so I am giving you permission to tell all of these people no. You are busy. You have plans. Whatever it takes, set some boundaries, so you don’t go to bed exhausted and crying every night.
Of course, you can add some of these things back in as you feel more awake and want to help. But only do the things you want to and that bring you joy. Don’t allow yourself to be guilted into things. It is not healthy for you and will end up feeling resentful.
4. Take care of yourself
Now on to self-care. You must – and this is a big must – take care of yourself.
It is easy to put yourself last as a mom as most of the time you are too tired and you can always put off self-care until tomorrow. But today, I want you to put this on the top of your list. If you have young kids, try to carve out a little time when they are napping or when your partner is home to take a walk alone, a hot bath, read in a park, or do anything you find soothing.
Here are some posts I wrote about different forms of self-care. Use some of these tips to help you practice self-care each and every day.
- 10 Self-Care Tips for Moms
- Creative Self-Care Tips
- How to Practice Mom Self-Care
- Exercise and Diet for Self-Care
- Self-Care Activities for a Bad Day
- How to Wake Up Early for More Self-Care
- 7 Tips to Avoid Mom Burnout
5. Give yourself time to do what you enjoy
Find something you enjoy and stick with it. Here are some ideas to help you find joy in the little things:
- Have a conversation with an adult every day. No more “baby-waby” talk!
- Draw, cook, bake, exercise… Whatever suits you best
- Practice meditation and mindfulness to help stay calm and revived
- find joy in the little things and make a gratitude list daily
Whatever it is you enjoy, do more of it. Simple stuff right… Not when you have “mom brain”!
6. Manage your expectations
I used to get upset our house was a mess. Then I learned that unless we were having people over, it really didn’t matter. So I saved those stressful cleaning days for when we had company. And oh, by the way, don’t offer to host Thanksgiving when you have a one-year-old. Tried it. Don’t recommend it. LOL
7. Be Present
Although technology helps pass the time and can be used as a numbing distraction, try staying present with your family today. Set a timer for how long you scroll on Facebook or Instagram, and try to be in the moment with your little ones. I know it’s so cliche, but really they are only little once.
How to Avoid Overwhelm as a Stay-At-Home Mom Final Thoughts…
Being a stay-at-home mom isn’t easy. It is rewarding, messy, and sometimes just plain chaos. Therefore, it is important to take care of yourself and learn to practice daily self-care. Accept help and do things that bring you joy. don’t forget it is okay to accept help. After learning these simple tips. you will feel a sense of relief and joy as you continue your motherhood journey.
Related Posts:
- 21 Reasons to be a Stay-at-Home Mom
- A Beginners Guide for Self-Care for Moms
- Managing Stress as a Stay-at-Home Mom
- How to feel Fulfilled as a Stay-at-Home Mom
- How to Rediscover Yourself After Motherhood
- How to Feel Fulfilled as a Stay-At-Home Mom