A FUNK. I think every mother gets that way sometimes. The perfect storm of sleepless nights and long days, endless chores and a list of to-dos. For me, I usually can feel it coming. When the laundry starts piling up and I speak an unkind word, I know it’s close. And then the doubts come: Am I a good mother? Am I cut out for this job?
I hope I’m not alone in this.
But I can’t stay this way for long. My boys still need me and whether I like it or not, I set the tone for our family. Unhappy mama, unhappy home. So I pull myself up by my bootstraps and keep moving. Here are a few things I do to “de-funk”:
- Look for the beauty in the chaos. Even though there may be toys scattered across my living room, I look at the sweet drawing of our family that M made yesterday. I look at the single bloom sprouting in the middle of our neighbor’s yard. If I am intentional, I am guaranteed to find something happy and beautiful.
- Clean. Those dishes in the sink? The crumbs on the floor from breakfast? Clean ’em up! Maybe it’s a little OCD in me, but I feel calm when my house is in order. Now that comes with realistic expectations. I have three boys and God willing, more in the future. My house will never look like a magazine. But I know my trigger points (I get stressed with cluttery countertops and dirty dishes), so I conquer those first.
- Do a little something for me. I spend a lot of time doing things for other people (namely, my kids): feeding, playing, diaper changing, etc etc. But when I’m feeling down, I become intentional in finding an activity that I enjoy. Most often, these can be done at the same time as being with my kids: working on a cross-stitch, reading, baking.
- Get a reality check. At the end of the day, I have so much to be thankful for. And there are so many others who have it so much harder than I do. Specifically, I’ve been keeping up with this couple and their little boy’s fight for life.
So, if you are a fellow mamma, and exhausted and overwhelmed today, please know there is someone out there thinking of you. You are not alone. And today is only one day. Tomorrow will be so much better.
I love your list! The cleaning one especially works for me – when I come home from another trip of dropping off and collecting and errands and the floors are vacuumed and the dishes done and the beds are made, the world feels so much kinder. And the reality check is a good one too – I tell myself "this too will pass" and no matter how awful it seems at the time – it does pass. Have a lovely day!