Most Moms Forget About These Personal Needs. You Shouldn’t!

In the rush of day-to-day activities, moms can become like machines. We can sometimes forget to meet our personal needs. Have you ever noticed the following things slipping?

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What’s that old saying?

We have needs we often don’t know about until it’s too late.

Maybe we ignore our exhaustion until we burnout. We ignore our body’s twinges and signals until we have adrenal fatigue or an autoimmune disorders. The bills don’t seem that urgent until we’re in debt.

Mothers are often so focused on everyone that they forget about themselves.

But not you. You don’t need to ignore your needs until you crash.

Moms sometimes forget the basics.

Part of mothering means that we have to always think of the needs of our babies. And yes, sometimes (ahem… all the time) they come first.

It’s crazy to think about, but often times the needs of our children are prioritized even above our own basic needs.

You know, those basic needs that allow us to function.

• Bathroom needs: Weird to say, but as moms will often just put off going to use the bathroom. We ignore our bodily needs and get in the habit of it, then the minute they sit down we have to pee.

• Nutrition needs: I have been guilty of this. Have you ever gone all day and realized that you made nutritious meals for the kids, but only had chocolate and a cup of coffee?

• Social needs: We plan playdates for the kids and organize their schedules to best suit their social needs. However, we often neglect to plan things that will benefit us… even though it can be necessary for our sanity.

Don’t neglect the need for solace.

The need to be alone is not a bad thing.

Let me say that again… wanting to be alone is not a bad thing. Moms have busy, high strong jobs. It’s taxing and exhausting.

Quit guilting yourself into shame because you want to be alone. Solace is a safe place for a mom to reflect, unwind, detox, and clarify.

Having a peaceful escape from the day-to-day is not only helpful, but often necessary.

• Plan a time in your day to have some alone time.
• Don’t spend this time “scrolling.”
• Discover a calming hobby or go back to doing something you loved to do before kids.
• You could always just sleep.

Sometimes mothers drown in the chaos.

Staying on top of things may seem impossible right now. Many moms feel that same way. Honestly, things in life just aren’t perfect when kids are around, and that’s ok.

However, there is a threshold of chaos that someone can personally judge for themself.

Some people have a high threshold for accepting chaos, while others need things more orderly.

Either way, when that level of chaos happens, it affects us. Everything goes to pot and we feel like we’re drowning. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Stay on top of your chaos with an evening sweep. If this is done nightly, things don’t ever get the chance to get beyond repair.

Mothers can easily become over-obligated.

One of the easiest ways to be stressed out is to over-obligate yourself. Motherhood is a job in itself, but moms can forget their basic needs when they find it hard to say, “No.”

• Helping others in need/want.
• Being “voluntold” to cook for, serve, or set up.
• Being involved in the caregiving or childcare of family/friends.
• Running unnecessary errands.

It’s hard to turn people down when they are asking for your time, but sometimes it’s necessary. Think of it like this- you are making the adult choice to use your time wisely.

Moms can forget to honor their boundaries.

Boundaries are often first on the list of things that leave when moms forget to meet their personal needs. The truth is boundaries not only help mom with all things, but also keep the kids balanced.

• Family rules
• Personal space
• Quality time
• Morals/Values
• Order
• Cleanliness
• Non-negotables

Boundaries just make good sense.

When we, as moms, keep good boundaries it serves us well. We become calmer, more organized, and able to meet the kids of our kids better.

Boundaries keep mom happy. It’s that simple. And… if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.

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