Although being a stay at home mom is my dream job, it has its challenges.  It can be lonely, frustrating, overwhelming, and sometimes even boring.  You work harder than you ever have in your life, but there’s no paycheck getting direct deposited to your bank account every other week.  I left my job in November of 2016 when I was nine months pregnant, so I’m no expert, but over the last year, I’ve come up with a few sanity saving tips for stay at home moms.  If you’re new to SAHM life, or desperately looking for a way to stay sane, I hope these tips can help.

Routine

Having a routine can be a double edged sword when you’re a stay at home mom.  It’s great because your children always know what to expect next (especially if they’re babies) which can simplify your life.  But, it can also drive you nuts if you find yourself doing the same things day in and day out.  I recommend having a routine with some wiggle room.  I try to keep meals, naps, and bedtime the same each day and mix it up a little bit in between.

Exercise

Please just hear me out on this one.  Getting up and doing a little physical activity goes a long way for me.  It energizes me, puts me in a better mood, and gives me a little sliver of the day where I know I’m doing something that’s good for me.  Right now I’m doing workouts from Beachbody on Demand (which is basically like Netflix for workout programs).  I do them in my living room while Weston runs around and plays with his toys (or climbs on me while I’m in the plank position).  It’s the easiest way I’ve found to get squeeze some exercise into my day.

RELATED: Post Baby Fitness Routine – How I Lost 50+ Pounds of Baby Weight

Podcasts

Being a stay at home mom can be lonely at times.  When the only person you have to talk to is a one year old that says “mama” and “dada”, you can start to long for some adult interaction.  This is when I turn on a good podcast.  If I’m cooking or cleaning and Weston is busy playing, I like to turn on some entertaining background noise.  I’m a lover of true crime podcasts like Serial, Up and Vanished, and My Favorite Murder, but I’m trying to raise a decent human being so I typically stick to comedy and business related podcasts when Weston is around.  Some of my favorites are Don’t Keep your Day Job, Smart Passive Income, Dave Ramsey, and Goal Digger, but I promise there is something for everyone in the world of podcasts.

Get Ready

Taking a shower, brushing your hair, and doing your makeup isn’t always easy when there are little ones running around.  Not to mention, why does anyone want to get ready when they don’t have to?  I’m the pajama and yoga pants queen, but every now and then, it feels good to get ready.  You don’t have to look like you’re going to prom, but put on a pair of pants, run a brush through your hair, or spay in a little dry shampoo.  Looking good can help you feel good, especially if you’re in a SAHM funk.

Get out of the House

A huge sanity saving tip for me has been to get out of the house.  When the weather’s nice, it’s easy to get out and take a walk or go to the park, but during the winter months, we spend a lot of time trapped indoors.  I’ve tried to make sure that Weston and I see the outside world at least once during the work week.  Whether that means aimlessly roaming the aisles at Target, going to a friend’s house, or running errands, I always come up with a reason to bundle up and escape the confines of our home.

RELATED: 5 Conversations you Need to have Before Becoming a Stay at Home Mom

Be Productive

I thrive on productivity.  That’s part of the reason I started this blog to begin with.  I needed to use my brain and I needed to feel like I was accomplishing something every day.  Being productive as a stay at home mom is HARD.  You’re busy all day, but it never really feels like you get anything accomplished.  You clean, and five minutes later it’s a mess again.  You cook, and five minutes later someone’s hungry again.  I’ve had many days where I’ve said to my husband, “It was such a busy day but what the heck did I do?”  My best advice is to make a list.  Write down five or ten things you’d like to get done that day.  Include the smallest tasks like throwing in a load of laundry.  Cross them off as you go.  At the end of the day, you’ll realize how much you actually accomplished.

Be Kind to Yourself

Look, none of us are superwoman.  We want to do it all, we want to have it all, and we want to be everything for everyone.  But, at the end of the day, that’s just not possible.  So, be kind to yourself mama.  If you’re too exhausted to cook dinner and dad grabs a pizza on the way home, that’s okay.  If your kids are driving you nuts and you need to hide in the bathroom for five minutes, that’s okay.  Whatever it is you feel “mommy guilt” about, let it go and start again fresh the next day.

Indulge in Self Care

I probably shouldn’t be preaching about this one, because this is one area where I couldn’t definitely do better.  I take a hot bath every now and then and I can talk my husband into a foot rub about once a week, but other than that, I don’t do enough when it comes to self care.  If you’re starting to feel like you’re burning from both ends of the candle, take a little time for yourself.  Get a pedicure, schedule a massage, or go to dinner with your girlfriends.  You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Connect with your Partner

Last, but definitely not least, connect with your partner.  After the kids are in bed, and you have time for just the two of you, put the phones away, have a glass of wine, have a conversation, and enjoy each other.  Being a stay at home mom is exhausting and sometimes it is a thankless job.  But, when you take the time to reconnect with your partner and tell them about all the funny and adorable things your kids did all day, you realize how lucky you are to have the opportunity to be there for it all, day in and day out.

What are your favorite sanity saving tips for stay at home moms?  Leave them in the comments below or follow me on Instagram and Facebook!  I love to connect with other stay at home moms on social media.

 

DISCLOSURE: Coffee and Coos is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. Always consult your doctor for medical advice.

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