Mompreneur Success – 5 Self-Care Tips for Maintaining Work-Life Balance

I laughed the first time I watched Anita Renfro’s “Momsiness” video. The second time I cried.

Childbirth is a challenge, but being a mother is both an art and a science. It takes incredible grace under pressure, skill, and the ability to let so much of life’s stress roll off your back, because we’re “on duty” 24 hours a day.

Baby waking up screaming in the middle of the night? My mom is so lol.

A child gets sick at school? Mom to the rescue.

Flat tires in the middle of nowhere? My mom calls it “Triple A” or she changes it herself.

Now, I am not saying that parents are not responsible. they. But when both mom and dad get sick, who takes care of the kids?

Yes, this will be my mom.

And who runs the business, wears pearls, sweeps the floor, fixes dinner, does laundry, and approaches the front of the house?

Good, mom.

Well, I admit my husband does the laundry at my house, but you get the idea that I’m driving here. I don’t take anything from my dad. Dad works hard, but as Anita Renfro so accurately puts it in her video, we do (and say) a lot of things for our family. Some of it is good, some of it is less than great, but we are so active in the lives of our loved ones. We look for them and take care of them.

Who takes care of us?

When we run the shop, the kids, the husband, the house, what do we do to take care of ourselves?

Self-care is a growing concern among working mothers. One look at the Wikipedia entry for work-life balance leads me to believe that self-care is even more important for mom entrepreneurs. With so many of us building our empires with kids at home, we dodge the “guilt” bullet by keeping our kids out of daycare, but are even more exhausted trying to “do it all.” It’s no wonder Renfro picked up on William Tell’s show to share all the “isms” we moms cook on a daily basis. We’re so hurt we might as well be talking that fast!

Here are some tips to include in your day to give you small doses of self-care:

breathes. Waiting in a long line? Take deep, calming breaths. Use this time to decompress. While others around you are getting impatient, see this time as an opportunity to practice gratitude and patience and bring a little solitude into your day. Whenever I find myself stuck at a train crossing, I take it as a sign that I need to slow down and refocus. Me too. I breathe deeply, relax my shoulders, and maybe even close my eyes for a minute. Sometimes my children will play – then everyone will be more relaxed!
It is clear. Be clear about what is really important. This can be on a daily or weekly basis. Take some time to examine your priorities and focus on what matters most. I realize that if you’re anything like me, you’ll always have something to do — and that most days not everything on that list will get done. Instead, focus on what I call the big rocks—the things to do—that will move your life and business forward all day long.
Make self-care a priority. Set it like any other business appointment. Don’t tell people you’re scheduling self-care (you may feel guilty). Tell people that you have a conflicting appointment and that you can’t reschedule. The first few times, you may feel a twinge of guilt. Once you get used to “putting your oxygen mask on first,” you’ll quickly discover how important it is to take the time to take care of your own needs.
Ease guilt with selfless rewards. For those moms who really struggle doing anything for themselves (including necessary doctor visits—you know who you are), commit to a selfless reward for taking care of yourself. You may choose to take the kids out for ice cream after your visit to a chiropractor, or give your girlfriend a special thank-you gift for watching the kids while they take some time out in the day. Doing an act for someone else usually helps dispel any feelings of guilt associated with taking care of yourself, because you’ll actually be doing something nice for someone else too!
Search for ‘Joy joggers’. It could be a favorite song on your mp3 player, or a poem you loved as a little girl. Maybe it’s a photo or a memory that brings some cheer to your day. Strategically locate Joy Runs around your space. Like a memory runner, these little reminders give you a small moment of joy every time you encounter them. Sprinkle it generously around your home, car, and workspace so that no space is considered a slump. Even if that means carrying it around in a pocket or purse and taking it out periodically for your enjoyment. Joy joggers is a form of careful self-care.

It’s long overdue for us moms to start parenting ourselves once in a while. Whether it’s for a fun run, a time-out, or a doctor’s appointment, make sure you take time for your own needs as well as all the other needs of your loved one. May the life you save be your own!