Hey, mom. Yes, you. The hard-working, guilt-ridden, running on coffee (known as ‘mombie juice’ in my household) mom sitting and reading this for just a two-minute break. Let’s talk about you for a minute. How would you describe yourself if someone asked you to? How many of your adjectives are related to your role as ‘mom’? If you said nearly all or all of them, it is time to make yourself a priority again, correcting ‘me, myself, and mommy’ to ‘me, myself, and I’.
Before you were a mother, there were likely several ways in which you would have described yourself, including hobbies and interests, self-care activities, a friend, a partner, and so on. Those were all parts of you; not one was the whole of you. Motherhood is now a part of you; and if it has become the whole of you, lets explore some ideas on redefining yourself.
- Prioritize yourself
Even 15 minutes a day is better than 0. Go for a short walk, read a book, take a peaceful bath…or even longer..take that mom vacation!
- Challenge the self-talk
The self-talk leading to the guilt or shame needs a gentle reminder that you are important too
- Reframe
Think about those adjectives again. What would you like to include in that list and how can you make them happen? “I am a wife, mom, animal-lover, book enthusiast, chocolate connoisseur” not, “I am mom.”
