Motherhood is a beautiful experience. You are happy being a mom. But, are you enjoying being a mom?
Being a mother can be overwhelming, especially the initial days of motherhood where you are still recovering from the childbirth and you have a human who is completely dependant on you. You always prioritise the baby's needs and eventually end up exhausted and tired as you have little or no time left for yourself.
Actually most of us may not even think whether we are enjoying or not because it's hard to find time to think, with so much going around, the days are jam packed with activities followed by sleepless nights. Having a cup of tea without being interrupted or going to the bathroom alone may seem like the luxuries of life. And this is the kind of life most of us have after having a baby.
You love your baby dearly, no doubt about it, but you also need some time for yourself, because along with being a mom, you are also a person. If you do not take care of yourself you will end up being tired and frustrated, every little thing may seem to daunt you because you have deprived yourself of the basic requirements. How can an unhappy mother give happiness to her children? She is overwhelmed with the tasks and responsibilities of each day, she is irritated with her kids and resents her husband for having a good time at office.
You don't want to end up being an unhappy mom, you want to enjoy your children and rock motherhood like a star.
The key to enjoy motherhood is to fill your cup first, only then you can give from it.
I know that it's difficult to make time for yourself, especially when you are the sole caretaker of the baby, but, you need to do it, because it's a necessity and not a luxury.
I have pinned down few habits which will let you enjoy motherhood and enjoy life.
Still, there are going to be some days when you will not feel up to it, you are not alone here, all moms have bad days, worse days and worst days, try to just let those days pass by. Don't be hard on yourself, there is nothing call as a perfect mom.
5 Ways to enjoy Motherhood
Take care of your body.
Make time for exercise, and it does not sum up to losing weight, workout to strengthen your body and to make yourself feel energetic and full of life. You don't need a gym, you can exercise in your home, a 15 min HIIT 4 days in a week can make a huge difference in your body.
Have a weekend massage with a relaxing oil, ask your partner for it or do it yourself, follow it up with an aromatherapy shower.
Plan an occasional face care time.
Soak up those sore feet every once in a while, they will love you for it.
Wake up before your baby wakes up and get ready for the day.
You know, having that little bit of time all for yourself at the start of each day is going to make a huge difference in your life. Wake up a few minutes earlier than your baby, brush your teeth, get your business done 'alone', watch the sunrise and have a cup of tea. You are going to be happy by giving a head start to your day and you are going to feel a lot more in control of things.
Even if you are at home, get dressed, do your hair, put on some makeup if you want to, you will feel good by looking at yourself in the mirror. It will give you a sense of order in your life.
Talk to your friends.
We all had best friends when we were in school and college, then life got us and we got hooked up in our day to day struggles and ended up losing touch with those friends who really mattered. Friends on facebook are not the ones you will end up calling if you are having a bad day, you may be friendly with everyone, but deep within you know who your true friends are. TALK TO THEM.
These friends accepted you for who you are, they stuck around you during the good times and the bad times, they told you the truth even if you didn't like it, they encouraged you to achieve your goals and made you feel comfortable in your own skin in spite of knowing all your dirty secrets.
Do something other than parenting.
If you have opted to be a stay at home mom, then, this is very important, because your kids are not going to stay the way they are. They will grow up and have their own life, they will not need you the way they do now. So, what are you going to do then? You need to identify yourself with something other than motherhood too.
Get thinking. You had interests and passions before you had children, get them back into your life. Figure out how to make time for the things you loved to do.
By doing this, you will be sculpting your life into a more enriched version of itself. I am not asking you to stress yourself by doing extra work. All I am doing is encouraging you to still do the things you once loved doing, even in motherhood.
Be thankful.
Being thankful can help you to get through life's tough times, because you can easily remember all the good things you have in your life. You have a place called home, you have people who love you, you have a family. Try to spend some time daily thinking about all the good things you have in your life. Being grateful makes you happy and being happy can help to keep your mind and body healthy which in turn will let you completely enjoy your life and motherhood.
