Hey mama, this episode is for you. It can be a lot to be juggling work, motherhood, no matter how many kids you have, how old they are, what type of work you do, how much childcare you have or don't have, it doesn't matter. I often have moments now as a mom (which I've been a mom for about two and a half years now) where I'm genuinely like, “what was I doing before being a mom? Why did I feel so busy?” Because things are so much busier now. In this episode, I'm going to share with you seven thoughts, or seven affirmations for working moms (whatever you prefer to think of them as!).
My hope is that these are thoughts that you can tell yourself throughout your day, throughout all the moments of motherhood and work and that they will encourage you and be a good mindset shift from what you might naturally be thinking during those busy moments. If you're a stay-at-home mom too, honestly, these things still totally relate to you, so keep reading. And if you're in a season right now where maybe you're about to enter motherhood for the first time, even better, you will love these because these especially relate a lot to the early years of motherhood. Let’s dive in!
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1.This is the most important thing I could be doing right now.
This thought is HUGE FOR ME! It's one of my favorite affirmations for working moms. I think it all the time. It's huge for me both in work and when I'm in mom mode, and I just love reminding myself that what I'm doing right now, is the most important thing I could be doing right now. And this is a thought, I'll be honest, I think it more when I'm in mom mode personally, during those little mundane motherhood moments.
It’s easy to feel like, “I should be doing XYZ instead”, whether it's that the kitchen is a wreck and so you feel like instead of playing with your child, you should be cleaning the kitchen or you just checked your phone and you got an important email and you feel like, “oh my gosh, that email, it needs to be replied to ASAP because it's so important”. Or maybe it's a week where you're majorly behind on work and you feel like your to-do list is too big to be playing Legos or reading another book or doing a super, super long bedtime.
So remind yourself that whatever you're doing at that moment with your children is the most important thing you could be doing right now. And it truly is. I know this in my soul, even though I have to remind myself of it. Your time with your children is precious. Those little moments when you're all the way engaged with them and are forming them into who they're going to become and forming your relationship with them are beautiful and while it might feel mundane to you, it's not mundane to them.
You can also think this while you're working, maybe you're a mama to a newborn and you're feeling nervous being away in a coffee shop, or working while someone else may be a nanny. When you're feeling that mom guilt for working and being away, it’s a great time to remind yourself why you do what you do. You love your work, you love your business, and you love your baby. You can love all of it.
2. I’m a present mom and a present business owner.
I love this one, and this is less than a thought and more of a way of being or something to step into as a mom. I’ve always loved the saying “be where your feet are” as a goal of mine, which really just means being present. Be present when you’re with your family. Be present when you’re doing your business owner thing.
3. I’m doing a great job.
Let’s be honest, motherhood is often thankless. Especially when your kids are tiny and literally can’t say thank you. Or maybe you have older kids who have said they “hate you” when you don’t give them what they want. It’s often less affirming than your work might be (but sometimes work is like that too).
My advice is: affirm yourself. Tell yourself things like:
- I’m doing a great job today engaging well with my kids.
- I’m doing a great job getting really focused work done on this course I’m making
- I’m doing a great job prioritizing myself today by going to the gym.
- I just did a great job taking two kids to breakfast, and doing two diaper changes on the go.
Throughout your day, look for opportunities to mentally tell yourself like, “Hey, I did a really great job navigating whatever this thing was that you were navigating”. Tell yourself that often, even if you don't have someone else telling you that in the moment.
4. I’m proud of myself for X, Y, and Z.
This is going to sound really similar to the great job one, but I think of these as different. I'm proud of myself for X, Y, and Z things. Sometimes we look to everyone else around us to help us be proud, and I do hope you have people in your life who are proud of you and tell you that, but also you can be proud of yourself.
I practice this frequently. I have plenty of things I do in my work that I feel like most people I'm with in my day-to-day life do not completely understand. My husband does, but a lot of other people don't. So I have to be the one that's proud of myself.
So think right now, what are you proud of yourself for today? Here are a few examples:
- I’m proud of myself for getting the kids to school on time and getting the playroom straightened up.
- I’m proud of myself for creating this new offer in my business that will change lives.
- I’m proud of myself for getting a focused hour of work done during nap time.
- I’m proud of myself for coming up with this fun activity to do that my kids are loving.
Read More: If Being a Mom and a Business Owner Feels Really Hard, Listen to This with Joy Michelle
5. There’s beauty in a slower more whimsical pace.
Motherhood is characterized by slower paces. It can feel like it’s moving at a snail's pace sometimes. You do a lot of the same things over and over again, you’re at home a lot, and often you’re not operating off a schedule like you may prefer with your kids.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been having a stay at home mom day with Colin, and I’m hoping to take him to the park or chick-fil-a or something, and he really does not want to go. All he wants to do is play in his playroom.
So the reality is, so much is outside of your control. You can do everything “right” and your kid just has a too-short 45 minute nap. You can plan the perfect outing that no one wants to go to.
When you’re used to the structure and pace of a job or running your own business, the slower pace can feel rocking. But remind yourself that there’s BEAUTY in it. God teaches me so much in those slower moments because I do tend to want more structure and want more fast paced and I literally feel like through motherhood, I've learned a lot about just slowing down and just letting things happen and really just being more whimsical in the pace I take throughout a long day.
6. This is the life I’ve dreamed of.
This is a gratitude thought that I literally think all the time because for me, this is the life I've dreamed of. I want this. I want to be a mom. I want to work. I want these slow moments. I was saying earlier about the mundane moments, and it’s like even if in those moments I'm aching a little bit for something else, this really is the life I’ve DREAMED of.
So if that feels like it applies to you, or at the very least some parts of it, reminding yourself that “Hey, I'm getting what I wanted. This is the life I've dreamed of and I'm really happy about it”, can be helpful. Figure out how to tune into that gratitude more.
I like to think too on top of this is the life I've dreamed of is that he's only little this long and it's so fun. And the different parts of your kids being little that you won't get back. It's just like, oh, I love it so much and I want to cherish it while I'm in that season.
7. My child is safe without me.
This is my last of these 7 affirmations for working moms. This thought is for all of us when we don’t want to leave our babies. And obviously sometimes this thought could NOT be true, but this is a helpful thought when you know it’s true but your stress and your emotions are making you feel as though it's not true.
For example, they are with grandma downstairs while you’re working and you’re preoccupied with how things are going and maybe you don’t want to be working because you’d rather be down there with them.
Remind yourself that they are safe without you. They are having fun without you. And it’s ok and good for you not to be together all the time. It's okay and good for you not to be together all the time. You need this as a mother to have that separation sometimes. Your child is safe without you.
Remember These 7 Affirmations for Working Moms
That is it, friend. I hope these thoughts help you the way they have helped me. If you want more podcast episodes that relate to motherhood and work in business, seriously, just scroll back through this catalog here. I have tons of different episodes where I'm sharing stuff similar to this or just talking about work and business together that I hope could be helpful to you!
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