4 hacks every mum needs to know to reduce overwhelm and stress
Everyone is out there talking about how busy mums just need to exercise more and get more sleep to reduce stress but no one is talking about this!! 4 hacks every mum needs to know to reduce overwhelm and stress
Yes I agree that more sleep and more exercise can and will help you feel less stressed, but first before we do that try these things first. Doing these 4 things will give you the capacity to think clearer and organize your day better which will then go on to allow you to focus more on your exercise routine and sleep habits!
1. Put your housework on auto pilot
It's easy to feel super unorganised as a mama with all the jobs you have to do. What I found has made it easier for me when I started to get overwhelmed by the housework was to organise my week so that all the jobs were spread out during the week. This not only meant that I could keep up with them but also took the decision making process out of it. I no longer had to think about what needed to be done because it was written down, on the fridge and on autopilot. This then gave me the mental space and time to start thinking about my exercise, nutrition and other elements of health.
The washing looks like this
Monday: Towels and regular clothes
Tuesday: Nappies main wash (nappies get a short wash daily but this does not require drying or anything so it's easy)
Wednesday: Josh’s work clothes and regular clothes
Thursday: Regular clothes
Friday: Regular clothes or catch up or extras like outside furniture cushion covers
Saturday: Nappies and Josh's work clothes
Sunday: Sheets and regular clothes depending on if I did one Friday
Other regular house jobs looked like this
Monday: Clean bathrooms
Tuesday: Vacuum and mop
Wednesday: Write shopping list and put in woolies order
Thursday: Clean kitchen after dinner
Friday: Paperwork, bills etc
Saturday: Grocery shopping
Sunday: Catch up
I’ve created a free easy to read weekly organiser that you can print out and put your jobs on to organise your week! Grab it here. Put your jobs on auto pilot and clear up some space in your brain!
2. Write stuff down, stop trying to remember it all
Trying to remember to book the dentist appointments, buy new shoes and get haircuts takes up alot of mental space which leads to overwhelm. Instead, get it out of your head and onto paper, well actually I prefer a digital to do list. I use the app Things. Paper always ends up too messy which causes more overwhelm for me. I love digital because I can change the date of when things appear, so things like ‘write a shipping list’ will only come up on a Wednesday. It also means I can clear my todo list each day, my must dos get done & ticked off and anything I run out of time for gets moved to the next day, I never end the day with a to do list that didn't get done. Also, I've always got my phone with me so if I'm at the shops & I think “oh I need to do this” I don't have to mentally try to remind myself, I put it on the to do list for the day it needs to be done & can forget about it until then. Always having to remind yourself of things to do & keep a list on your head is mentally exhausting and causes fatigue, get it out of your head on into the app and forget about it until it appears on the day you actually need to think about it
3. Get back into your feminine
The feminine is the being! The playful, the fun, the creative, nurturing, gentle
The masculine is the doing. The action taker, the logical, direct, moment by moment, firm
We both equally in ourselves and our relationships
When we work, need to be disciplined and need to get shit done we need our masculine and when it's time to play, love, get creative and mother we need our feminine
But here's the thing, when we become mothers our bodies change, dynamics of the relationship change, the jobs around the house increase, time for yourself reduces and whether it's sleepless nights or running the kids around to soccer training and basketball all puts us in a very masculine state of having to just get shit done. I know myself this is a battle at times and when Charli was only a few months old and not sleeping I lived mostly in my masculine for months which caused even more stress and tension both within myself and in my relationship with Josh. Don't get me wrong we need the doing, we need the masculine but we also need to learn how to surrender into the feminine for both our own inner peace and for our relationship, because let me tell you 2 string masculines in a relationship isn't sexy and don't gel well, its like 2 magnets repelling each other, definitely not conducive for a cal household or a healthy sex life.
So what gets you into your feminine? What makes you feel calm, playful, creative and sexy? As I said yes we need the masculine but when it's time to wind down and switch gears it's good to have a few tool up your sleeve to help
Here are some ideas
Having a shower at the end of the day after work/being with the kids and washing the day off. Lighting a candle in the shower also helps
Getting out of work clothes and into home clothes
Wearing clothes that make you feel feminine, for some it's flowy dresses for others it might be shorts or flares (me)
Putting the oil diffuser
Dancing in the kitchen for an entire song
Take your shoes off and get your feet in the earth
Journal
Practice self care- go to the self care section for more ideas
Get creative. Art, music, social media posts, writing
4. Add in more moments of bliss throughout your day
How can you find joy in the little things? The little thinsg that turn the day from average to fucking epic! For me it's a coffee and a drive with a podcast when the girls are driving me insane, what is it for you? List 8-10 things that bring you joy each day, little acts of self care that amongst the wildness of mum's life bring you joy. They don't need to be big acts like a massage or facial, just little things that help make the day go from ok to amazing.
Here are some more of mine
A candle light shower
A coffee outside in the sun
Going to the gym
A bath
Setting the girls up with an activity like painting so I can have 5 min of peace
Putting music on and having a dance while making breakfast
Taking a deep breath before I react
Wearing clothes that make me feel good
Putting the oil diffuser on with a beautiful oil
This is just the tip of the iceberg of what is in Mum School. In Mum School we break these down even further with activities, resources and downloads to support you and your health. Go check it out here.
Which one are you going to try first?
Which one stands out to you? Let me know over at Instagram, I'd love to know how these things support your mental health
