Motherhood. What else is there to say on the matter? It’s the most important thing a woman will do in her life, and it’s quite literally a true to life miracle.
That being said, that doesn’t mean it comes easy. Actually, it’s probably the hardest thing a woman can imagine. It’s a 24/7 job, 365 days a year for–well, forever. Along the road of child-rearing and loving motherhood, mothers often forget to tend to themselves. This lack of balance can result in moms losing their sense of self.
Yuko Grover, writer and mother of two, says it best in her recent post to Psychology Today: “In taking care of my daughters, I started to spend less time taking care of myself; I was the last thing on my to-do list.”
Moms, if you feel even remotely similar to Grover, don’t continue down the path to losing yourself. There are ways in which you can find your balance in motherhood. And, surprisingly enough, they’re not as difficult to pull of as you’d think.
In fact, Grover believes that moms can find balance in motherhood in just 3 simple ways. Check them out here:
1. Don’t give up on your dreams
The problem wasn’t motherhood, it was my attitude. I was becoming too easily defeated. A voice echoed in me like a Greek chorus: “You can’t do this. You can’t do that now. You can’t read more than 10 minutes. You can’t go out at night without making child-care arrangements. You can’t finish writing your novel.” My children became my excuse for not challenging myself to the fullest as I did when I was younger. My passion for my own life and dreams evaporated as I gave myself permission to sit back and give up. And the worst part, through my own example, I may have been teaching my daughters this is how they should live their lives.
Learn the rest of Yuko Grover’s tips and tricks for finding balance in motherhood. Visit page two for more insightful info!
2. Don’t get stuck in the background
Is there a middle-ground for handling the incredible work of motherhood and other aspects of my life?
“For me, there was not quite a middle-ground, honestly—it was more like a zigzag,” said one of mother friends, about raising her three beautiful children. I thought about that—a zigzag—and something clicked in me.
There may be no middle ground, but I was stuck in the background! Rather than focusing on something that I can’t do, what I’ve needed was to focus fully and more precisely on each role I perform in my life, whether as a mother or an aspiring writer. Whichever role I play, I have to live in the moment and commit to that role wholeheartedly.
3. Don’t limit yourself
Mothers have the potential to be many things. I may no longer have the unlimited time that I used to enjoy, but I am now training myself to live in the present moment more than ever. And whenever discouragement hits me, I tell myself, ‘Never give up’ and pick myself up again.
Grover also shared in her post a resonating poem that spoke to her, and one she believes will speak to all moms. It’s called “Life” by Daisaku Ikeda and it’s one that Grover claims to have been a major impact on her life as early as her college days; she believes it will help moms to love the life they embrace:
“I’ve put behind me
the age of just dreaming about a rosy future
and, with roots extended into life’s reality,
I realize that the power to create happiness
derives from what we actually do today.”
Learn more about Yuko Grover by visiting her website. This post was based on an article shared by Psychology Today.
READ: 10 Things parents should never do in front of their kids
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