Hey there Mama!

When was the last time you took time out for yourself, completely and utterly guilt free?

Maybe you're not sure if you are feeling guilty about taking time out for yourself or not. If you're experiencing the following, it's a good indication that you may well be feeling this way:

• unable to ever find time to do something for yourself
• if you do book something in, always running late to actually do it because you're worried about how the kids will cope while you're gone
• leaving the alternative caregiver with a ridiculously long list of instructions
• unable to fully engage in what you are doing for yourself because you keep wondering how things are going back home
• racing to get home the SECOND your catch up or activity finishes because you worry things are probably out of control at home

Sure, its natural as a Mum to worry about your kids and how they are coping without you, but if these worries are so enormous that they prevent you from EVER doing something for yourself, something's up.

Why do we feel this guilt? Well, some of it is due to societal myths about mothers. For example, the myth that Mums can do it all, be it all and have it all. Sorry, but it is actually impossible to juggle EVERYTHING as a Mum and do it on your own. Sadly, its often the "look after myself" ball that gets dropped first and picked up last...

Another myth - that mothers are ALWAYS selfless and perfectly content putting everyone else's needs above their own. This is a tricky one, because no one wants to be thought of as selfish or vain. The thing is, choosing to prioritise your own needs is so far from selfishness or vanity. If you cannot function well because you're constantly running on empty, this will have impacts for the rest of your loved ones (and not in a good way...)

You may also have internalised self expectations that are overwhelming and often impossible to achieve which leads to more, you guessed it, guilt!

OK, so how do you move past all of this? Well, one step at a time.

Firstly - recognising that you have these feelings and understanding why. Once you have that, you can choose to make a shift in your thinking. It's not enough to just choose to do so though, you need to practice so your mind and heart become accustomed to being cared for!

Does this resonate with you? I did a series of posts over on my socials on this topic over the last week. You can find me on Instagram and Facebook...

Until next time Mama, be kind to yourself!

Michelle

Flourish Mama