5 Work/Life Balance Tips for Incredible Mompreneurs 2 July 2019 Bliss Team No comments Categories: Guest Post, Inspiration, Life Coaching, Self Care, Uncategorised Being a mom is never easy. Mom is also a nurse, a chef, and teacher. It brings immeasurable joy to the heart, but there’s no shame in admitting that sometimes things get really hard. When mom also has entrepreneurial ambitions, finding a work-life balance can be complicated because there’s her work on one side and her children on another. Add a significant other into the mix and things can get quite chaotic. Here are some tips on how to get work and life balance in order. 1. Exercise Sitting in the office all day can be a disaster for the back. Even if you work from home, chances are that you spend a lot of time sitting. It’s important to find some time off to work out. There are few ways to exercise: in a group, in pairs or individually. If time and money allow, go to a gym and find a personal trainer. In case that’s not possible, try working out at home or find a group of people to exercise with. Home workouts are also good since it lets you do it on your own terms. 2. Get organized Knowing when to do something and at what time can be immensely helpful for organizing day-to-day activities. Using containers to make meals in advance and vacuum bags will help you arrange your food and clothes for the week. Learn how to multi-task efficiently. For work, using a good project management tool can significantly reduce work-related stress. There are countless other apps that can be helpful in managing professional and personal activities, and if you’re more of an old-school type, then get a quality notebook planner and keep it with you all the time. 3. Learn to relax Doing laundry, cooking meals and reading bedtime stories is already exhausting, but when you add work deadlines and demanding clients, things get more difficult. That’s why it’s necessary to take some time off and loosen up a bit. Having a bath, reading, watching TV can be relaxing and energizing at the same time. Additionally, treating yourself for a professional massage experience can help you unwind and forget your daily worries, even only for a bit. Mental well-being is crucial to stay focused and thrive. Being alone can be beneficial for recollecting thoughts and decompressing. Also, having regular date nights with your spouse can help you two reconnect and add some zest to your marriage. 4. Know when to say no Being a mompreneur can be very empowering, however, shuffling work duties, money management, family responsibilities, and personal care can put you under significant strain, but it can be done as long as there are set boundaries. Especially if you’re the type everyone relies on. Being needed can be stimulating sometimes, but one must learn how to say no. Prioritizing tasks is what separates successful people from those who do everything for everybody. Remember that your family and your health should always come first. Everything else is less important. 5. Ask for help Having a great career or a business of your own is a notable achievement by itself. Adding a family to the mix can make things complete. But no matter how hard-working you are, there are times when you’ll feel tired. That’s fine and shouldn’t be treated as a failure. We all need a hand sometimes, even the mompreneurs. Asking for help is not something to be embarrassed about. Relying on your partner is much better and can help bring the family together. Also, being in touch with other mompreneurs can significantly help you learn and find support when you need it the most. After all, people who are similar to you can also understand you better and empathize with you on a deeper level. Just remember that being a superwoman doesn’t mean doing everything by yourself. Asking for help is crucial if you want to thrive in all aspects of your life. Written by: Sophia Smith Sophia Smith is a beauty blogger, eco-lifestyle lover, graphic designer and food enthusiast. She is focusing on minimalism and good quality. Her other hobbies center around her love for nature, well-being and living in balance. Sophia writes mostly about beauty-related topics in her blogs and articles. She has contributed to a number of publications including: Life Goals Mag, Savant Magazine, Secret Garden, Bonvita Style, Cause Artist and Book Meditation Retreats. You can find out more about her writing by following her on: Facebook Twitter Google +
Getting Ready for Mother’s Day: Self-care for Moms 9 May 2017 Bliss Team No comments Categories: Individual Therapy With Mother’s Day fast approaching it is important for us moms to practice self-care. At Bliss we believe that self-care is important for everybody, but it is super important for moms for several reasons. Reason number 1: we need to maintain our sanity SOMEHOW. And reason number 2: we need to model for our children that they matter. Yes, you read that right – you teach your children that they matter by showing them that you matter. Kids don’t respond to what you tell them, they respond to what you show them. If you live your life as a martyr to the needs of others, you are not teaching them to honour and cultivate their self worth, a skill they will need in the years to come. Now, I know that it can be difficult to find the time to take care of yourself, especially when children are small and they depend on you for…everything. But it is absolutely essential, and completely doable if you start with the little things and build to a self-care ritual that works for you and your family. Here are some suggestions for practicing self-care as a mom: Alone time – take a bath, read a book, go for a walk, meditate, go to the gym, journal. These can all be quick 15-30 minute practices or afternoon-long relaxation events, depending on what you need/have time for! Forgive yourself – we all make mistakes, there isn’t a mom alive who doesn’t have flaws. In fact, there isn’t a human alive who doesn’t have flaws. Instead of beating yourself up, practice forgiveness. Show your kids that it is ok to make mistakes and that it’s important to own them, apologize for them, and then move on. Build a support network – have friends who don’t claim to know what is best for you but who support you, who listen and don’t judge. Those are the best kinds of people, and you deserve them. Make time for them, laugh with them, and explore common or new interests with them. Take a nap – if you are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted give yourself the rest your body and mind need, even if only for 15 minutes. You deserve to rest. Say “NO” – it’s ok to say no to things. You would never justify a yes, so don’t feel like you need to justify a no. No is a good enough answer. It can be difficult at first, but once you start practicing saying no it gets easier – I promise. Try a new recipe – only if you like to cook. If you don’t it’s perfectly ok – order from or visit a new restaurant! In fact, it’s probably a good rule to just try something new once in a while. Write a gratitude list – regularly remind yourself of all of the wonderful things in your life. Sometimes when we feel overwhelmed we forget to acknowledge the things that are working well. Trust me, you will have more than you realize. Get outside – take your kids for a walk in nature, play basketball, have a picnic, kick a ball, read a book. It’s also ok if you do this alone! If you enjoy being outside make it a part of your self-care routine either way. Allow yourself to have your feelings – crying is ok, feeling angry is ok. It’s how you handle your emotions that matters most. In fact, it teaches your kids that it is ok to have emotions, and that feeling them isn’t a bad thing. Again your job is to model for your children, not to hide what you are experiencing. No one ever says we need to hide our happiness, why should we hide anything else? Order dinner in – it’s ok if you are too tired to cook! Even if that ends up being most nights…been there! Hire a cleaning lady – it doesn’t mean you are a failure, it means you have different priorities. That’s ok, and you should not feel ashamed to make that decision for yourself. Most importantly do what works for you! This list isn’t exhaustive; there are so many other ways to care for yourself. Don’t gage yourself based on what other moms are doing, do what works for you. And remember – you matter. Your kids want a mom who is available and you can’t be present if you are exhausted and emotionally depleted. Take care of yourself and everyone will benefit from it, I promise. I’ll say it once more in case you really need it today: You matter. “Parenting is hard. Just like lots of important jobs are hard. Why is it that the second a mother admits that it’s hard, people feel the need to suggest that maybe she’s not doing it right? Or that she certainly shouldn’t add more to her load. Maybe the fact that it’s so hard means she IS doing it right…in her own way…and she happens to be honest.” Glennon Doyle Melton Tammy Benwell, MSW, RSW