Powerful Ways To Stay True To Yourself During Motherhood
Disclaimer: I receive a commission on the affiliate links mentioned in this post. Always seek advice and help from a licensed therapist, medical doctor, and/or medical authority if you are suffering or concerned with your health. I am speaking from personal experience and this post is meant to be for inspirational purposes only.
I love being a mother and I especially love my children. They are such a blessing to me! I've never known love in the way that motherhood shows you. I love that I can now say that I am a mother of two amazing children (Read my previous testimony regarding my battle with an infertility diagnosis).
However, a real moment here, motherhood is not what I expected it to be. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE MY KIDS and I LOVE BEING A MOTHER, but I was not aware of or prepared for the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual toll motherhood takes on you. I feel like no one ever talked to me about what to expect AFTER you give birth. THAT was quite a surprise for me personally. The postpartum stage of motherhood was BRUTAL!
Since giving birth to my eldest during the COVID-19 pandemic, I've faced many different challenges and overcome so much. Recently, I reached a pivotal moment in my life. I realized, if I don't take care of ME, I may not make it. I realized the life I was living is unsustainable long-term and being a mother of two small children (a toddler and an infant), I realized that prioritizing myself became a life or death decision.
Therefore, I implemented many things in my life to help me successfully manage the rigors of motherhood and stay true to myself during this time. If you want to keep your sanity and stay productive, here's a list of several powerful things I've incorporated into my lifestyle to help me stay successful during this time.
Focus on nourishing your body with foods rich in antioxidants. My favorites are raw beets, raw carrots, and fresh coconut water. I cannot begin to tell you how soothing and nourishing these foods have been for my brain.
Pray like a monk. Deepen your relationship with God by studying His word and leaning on specific Bible verses that speak to your heart that day. (More on this later).
Journal your worries, concerns, and pain. My journal, besides God, is my closest friend. There I write about my pain with the aim of seeking understanding about my triggers, things or skills I may need to learn about, and limiting beliefs I may be holding onto that need to go.
Write down your affirmations and declarations and then speak them aloud. There is something powerful with writing down who you want to be in your life and definitely as a mother. Use the power of your tongue to speak what you want in your life.
Exercise. Exercise in a way that is fun and maybe even sexy. 😉 Dance to merengue music, or your favorite music. Pretend your living room is a nightclub and play (obviously kid-friendly) music. Go bicycling. Take up yoga. Learn belly dancing. Do a workout routine that you feel like you burned off some stress and did your body good. There are so many ways to have fun with your exercises and get a good workout on. Not only that, the physiological benefits of exercise will help you manage stress.
Get a therapeutic massage. It helps with the chronic back pain, release of oxytocin, and release of stress, increase of relaxation, and much more. Human touch is so healing.
Take a shower or bath with aromatherapy blends that promote relaxation, stress relief, and a deep sense of calm. I have several companies that I highly recommend. Click here to learn more.
Seek a licensed therapist. There is so much that we all endure in life. So many traumas that we are all overcoming. If you are the first one in your family implementing a different kind of lifestyle or parenting style, you definitely deserve the support of a therapist. Working with a therapist helps you uncover unseen triggers, process pain, and have a different perspective or approach to your challenges.
Have a creative outlet. This has to be something small and that you can excel at. This will help you to feel accomplished and have a sense of control during this very rigorous time.
There you have it! My top tips on keeping your sanity during this time of early motherhood. 😜
I'd love to hear from you! Did you find these tips helpful? Let me know in the comments below. Have a wonderful and blessed day!
