I completely understand my privilege in the fact that I can enjoy my kiddies school holidays. Having this time freedom has been so rewarding yet still exhausting. I understand that not everyone has this luxury and I appreciate that fact. However, these tips can be incorporated into a stay at home mom and a working mom’s lifestyle. We all have very different lives with different priorities but mom burnout affects us all.
- Start by a clear visualisation of your goals for your family over the holiday period. What do you hope to achieve?
- Planning, now this is a completely personal thing, but for me, if I have a plan, and a check list then I can squash that anxiety. I like to start out with list of different activities we would like to do. I don’t mean micro managing every activity or a min by min plan but more like a set of activities to choose from. Keeping in mind that kids are kids. I remember back to a recent summer holiday, I had plans of hitting the beach after sports camp but unfortunately my daughter got stung by a bee and wasn’t herself. We decided to head home for some quiet time instead. Flexibility in your planning is key.
- Getting outdoors and moving our bodies. This could be a walk, a swim or a visit to the park. The fresh air and sunshine will do wonders.
- Meditation with breathing techniques. I like to include this into our bedtime routine. If you manage to get some quiet time by yourself each then you could use that time to meditate, stretch or do some yoga?
- Download a couple of your and your kiddies favourite songs on your phone. These are a great little dopamine hit in between activities.
- Reading time before bed is a must for me and the kids. Did you know that reading for pleasure is the single biggest indicator of a child’s future success?
- Setting realistic expectations. This is so important for us. I know that work wise I cannot get as much done as normal so instead I try set small goals that are realistic so that I don’t have guilt while enjoying this special time.
- Solitude! If you can schedule some alone time, please do. Even if it’s once a week while your partner takes the kids out for an hour. Quiet time is vital to avoid burnout.
- Reflection every day is such a good tool to focus on what went well, what didn’t and giving yourself some self-compassion in the process.
- And finally, patience! patience! patience!
Feeling burnt-out already? Pop me a mail at michellepittco@gmail.com and I will set up a free coaching consultation to see where I can help.