Try These Practices for A More BALANCED Mom Life

Sometimes we need to make changes to our routine, in order to have a more balanced mom life!

I don’t know about you but sometimes I have felt life completely and absolutely stuck.

Being a mom, is A LOT of work. Period.

Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my kids so much. I mean, they are so freaking cute, funny, and they help me to remember that there is still innocence and beauty in this world. But they are also completely self-absorbed and pretty needy! You gotta love them though!

Part of maintaining a household, is to develop and be consistent with a routine or even a set of routines. In my home, routines are a necessity. Routines help to keep me from losing my mind. I need them. I thrive on them. My kids may not care for routines, but them need them too.

I have 5 children in my home, from college-age to preschool. My college student’s needs are entirely different from the needs of my middle schoolers. My middle schoolers level of maturity are different from that of their 4th grade brother’s maturity level and understanding.

Then you have my 5 year old…the self-identified “princess” (Yes, the label “princess” actually came from my husband and I, but she chose to fully embrace it on her own!). Now that little lady is an entire job on her own…lol. Our family routines help us to keep our heads spinning this daily rollercoaster called life.

My point is that, if we did not have a routine, we would basically lose our minds. For better or worse though, those routines can also make me feel like I am stuck in a never-ending, unexciting, and discouraging cycle of meals, cleaning, calls, transportation, emails… then rinse and repeat, and so on… Moms, can you relate?

So how do we balance all of these responsibilities and needs, while also taking care of ourselves. It’s not possible to have everything together all the time, but we can work on tipping the scale more in our favor by incorporating some simple activities to improve our overall well-being.

You Should Incorporate Changes in Your Routine To Keep Life Interesting!

VeryWell Family advises moms to first “define what balance means to you and don’t compare yourself to others.”

There isn’t a one size fits all method to finding balance for your life. The best way to

We need to enjoy life! Moms need to feel as though we can have fun too. Because WE CAN! Contrary to popular belief we were not created to become sacrificial lambs for our family. Yup, I said it!

You know that you get when you get a new hairstyle? I mean….it’s not a necessity, but doesn’t it just give you a nice boost?! When I get a new hairstyle, it motivates me to also try new earrings, or take more pics to send to my family, or it just makes me smile!

Obviously, this is a very simplified example, but in many cases change can help to spice up life!

Prioritizing Mom-Life Balance To Lead By Example For Our Children

At one point our babies will be adults, and as their parent, we want to show them that change can be good. Let’s show our children that change is needed to make progress. It is extremely easy to get stuck in a routine no longer benefits us. Let’s change that, because we can!

I like to let my kids in on my plans to make changes, when appropriate, in order to exemplify for them that life will sometimes throw you curves. Sometimes God is leading those curves and we need to take heed and follow.

We can be proactive in assessing what is or isn’t working for us, so that we can make changes before life forces up to. So assess, re-assess, make some changes to keep life interesting and keep it moving forward!

Making Changes To Our Routine Gives Us Something To Look Forward To!

Yes, give yourself something to look forward to!

As human beings, we need to feel stimulated. Our brains, our minds, or bodies need change for growth. When we have something to look forward to, it helps to keep us from being stagnant. Planning for change is a part of taking a step towards moving forward. I am a BIG advocate of taking steps towards moving forward physically, mentally and spiritually.

There’s a reason why caterpillars evolve into butterflies! Because change can be a beautiful thing!

1. Schedule 10 minutes of quiet time in your day

No Excuses!

Get on your phone or planner, right now if you can, and block out 10 minutes to do something different from your norm. It is very important you schedule this valuable time. You could use that time to paint your nails, draw, do crossword puzzle, watch a YouTube video on a new topic, read, work on a blog, call an old friend, whatever YOU want.

The point of this is not to change the world, the point of this is to change your perspective on the importance of taking care of you. Inform your family, in advance, that you have scheduled this tiny slice of time for yourself, then stick to it!

I know this might sounds so simple, BUT you have no idea how powerful such a small change in your routine can bring more joy into your life!

2. Say “No” To A Request This Week

The PTA will be fine if you don’t bake cookies this week. Your cousin will figure out what outfit to wear for her date this weekend. The playdate can happen next week.

It is okay to say “no” or “not yet” when someone has a request for you.

You are still a GREAT MOM! I mean it.

The more you say “yes” to every request, the more the request will keep rolling in. Be more judicious about what you sign up for. As children of God, we should always help others and we should always contribute to our communities. We should not, though, overextend ourselves, to the point that we’re not actually putting our best forward.

When your heart is more into the request, you will feel joy and you will help spread joy. Balance your life more by saying “no” to others every once in a while saying “yes” to YOU a bit more!

3. Swap Out A Shower for a Bath Once a Month

What’s a better way to balance out the everyday crazy mom-life routine, than to take a long, relaxing bath?🛀🏽

Taking a bath is probably the closest experience that I can get to pure joy. Baths are an incredible way to provide relaxation and to fully focus on self-care.

I love baths, but I rarely get to take a bath. I have 5 kids, a husband, a household to manage, and my online business. None of those are conducive to planning for a bath. My life requires showers. Quick, rushed, constantly interrupted showers.

Don’t get me wrong showers can be great too. But when I shower my body and mind receives the message that it I am showering to complete another task on my to-do list. I must shower before I go off running to do the next task, or to start off my day of tasks, or to clean off after a day of tasks. My spirit gets the message to go, go, go! Productivity mode on full force…ugh

When I take a bath though…my mind gets the message that it time to stop and relax. Baths are meant to be savored. No rushing. No next task to get to. My spirit and my heart receives the message that it is time to slow down and take care of me.

Also, changing your routine to include baths on a consistent basis, not only gives your spirit the message that it is time for self-care, but it gives your family a clear message that Mom is prioritizing self-care. When your children observe how you incorporate mom-life balance activities into your regular routine, then they will learn the importance of taking care of themselves also.

If you want them to take that message seriously, you have to take the action seriously. I hope you do.

4. Change Your Weekly Dinner Routine to Include One “Easy” Meal Option Each Week

Mealtime is absolutely the major area in my mom-life that I needed some balance. Sometimes it feels like the majority of my days are filled with planning meals, cooking meals, shopping for meals, or cleaning up after meals.

It. Is. Exhausting.

As a mom, I often feel pressure to have it all together. This includes feeding my family great food! But mealtimes are definitely time consuming and takes A LOT of prep. I don’t like to make the same meals all the time. I prefer to switch it up whenever I can by trying out different forms of protein, a starch/carb and vegetables. Plus, I love seeing the satisfied looks on their faces when they taste the meals I’ve made for them 🤗

That being said, cooking everyday can be physically draining. I decided recently that part of “switching things up” needed to include an easy meal option each week. It’s kind of my day off from cooking while still feeding my family. I decided to make this change when I started to feel dread as meal time approached.

I LOVE cooking, so experiencing dread was a major sign that it was time for a change! An “easy” meal night can look any way that you want it to. Some easy meal ideas can include, ordering take-out, involving your family in a make-your-own meal night (Taco Night is great for this!), heating up a frozen meal, planning a night each week for left-overs, and the options go on and on!

Make it work for YOU! Just remember to keep BALANCE in mind.

5. Schedule A Regular Day “Off” From Mom-Life

Contrary to popular belief, moms were not created to become martyrs for their families.

Yup, I said it!

We are not meant to run ourselves into the ground to prove our worth as moms. It is time for a change. It’s time for more mom-life balance.

It is okay to take time off. Actually, it is more than okay; it’s a necessity for your own well-being. As a therapist, I have supported many moms with realizing the need to take time off.

We all need breaks. No matter how strong we are. To be honest, the stronger we are, the more people tend to rely on us. Therefore, we NEED to take time off to replenish. Our physical and mental health heavily relies on taking some down time.

Now I understand that, what’s ideal may not be what is realistic.

Don’t pressure yourself to have a strict schedule to forcing you to take a day off when it is not feasible for you and your family. I would encourage you to instead focus on consistency.

For instance you can plan for a day off every 1-3 months. Additionally, a day “off” can be leaving your house to go to the mall to window shop without the kids. (Am I the only person who likes to window shop? Lol) A day off could involve going to visit a friend or family member to just hang.

A “day off” can also be a couple of hours in your room reading a book with the doors locked so the little ones can’t interrupt!

The goal of this practice is to provide you with the much needed spiritual, mental and physical balance that we all need as moms.

There are great benefits to just…being. Allow yourself to just be, without going and going on the never-ending mom cycle. Not only will you get back to your kids more refreshed, but you will appreciate your beautiful little creations all the more. You will actually miss them again! Lol

Plan a day off. You deserve it. When life starts to feel overwhelming you can look at your calendar and remind yourself that you have this little time for self-care to look forward to!❤️

Your Turn!

Let us know when you try out any of these tips and how it went!

Share your own tips and strategies too. I’m always in need of learning!

What are some ways that you have changed up your routine to have more balance in your mom-life? Feel free to share some of your experiences with change, the pros and the cons. Let’s share and support each other because… why not! 🙂

Take care!

~Val

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

Romans 15: 13 (NIV)