Being a Mom and Running a Business
Your phone buzzes an early morning alarm. You roll over and silence it at first beep - quick not to wake anyone. 5:18 AM. Quietly, you grab your phone and tiptoe through the bathroom to get dressed and silence your remaining alarms - you always set three.
Creeping down the hall in the dark, stepping carefully over forgotten legos, you head to the kitchen. You have a few minutes, so you decide to unload the dishwasher while waiting for the coffee machine to heat up. Quick as you came, you're out the door heading to work.
Before the kids' wake, you're home again and making breakfast. They come rushing in, following the scent of pancakes. Packing lunches, brushing teeth, changing diapers. You run through the checklist in your head for school: snow pants, health forms, sippy cups, snack. And out we go again piling into the car ...
Sound familiar?
“Moms only move in one speed: FAST. ”
Juggling kids with their packed schedule of school, swim lessons, practice, and playdates with your own work leaves little time for YOU. Did we mention laundry and cooking, too? It's easy - and understandable - for Mom to fall to the bottom of that list. So what IS the key to finding a moment of self-care through the chaos?
Like most Moms, we become multi-taskers and list-makers. Thriving on the busy, as that is what makes us feel productive and accomplished. Acknowledging this can allow you to find balance.
Organize time between days focused on WORK and days focused on KIDS. This distinction grants me both motivation AND slack. Work Focused Day? It's OK for movie-watching, independent play, and takeout. Kid Focused Day? Emails can wait, and it's time for crafts and fort building.
When it comes to self-care, how do you find the time?
Use this organized schedule to find those moments for self-care. Where is the time wasted? Scrolling social media? Sitting in your car in the school pick-up line? Focus your energy on small goals: start with 10 minutes to yourself and build from there (remember, Type A's like to be set up for success!)
What can you do in ten minutes, you ask? Think: sip a hot coffee. Meditate—a quick workout. Clean the kitchen. Read a book. All of the above?! After all, we are Super-Moms!
Take a moment to find these pockets of time and write them right into your schedule. If it's on the list, it will get done, so that is where self-care goes!
That might look like driving to work blasting music you can't play in front of toddlers. Or sitting in the car during appointments as a time to read a book. Choosing early morning minutes before the baby wakes to sip a hot coffee without feeling the need to check email first—a workout class on the weekend. The nuggets are there—you just have to find them.
Since 2011, Jenny is a Circuit Row, Cardio Barre, YogaSculpt, Running classes, Bootcamp, and is a certified personal trainer. After 8 years with btone FITNESS and growing into a Master Instructor and manager role, Jenny decided to follow her dreams to open her own btone FITNESS franchise in Middleton, MA!
When Jenny’s not at the studio she loves to spend time with her kiddos, watch murder mysteries, or enjoy a glass of red wine!