how to cultivate calm | tips for busy moms
We can’t change life’s circumstances, but we can change how we react to our daily challenges.
Today I’m sharing my personal work – life balance tips.
- Bedroom Matters
Rather than bounding out of bed, take amount to establish peace and CALM. Take a deep breath, stretch, be still for two or three minutes. If you are inclined to do so, now would be the time to meditate or write in a journal. My current favorite app for medication is CALM and I also recommend Zen Habits.This hand book is an easy read and provides hundreds of tips for improving your life through simplicity, productivity, and happiness.
Does your bedroom allow for full relaxation? My bedroom is sparse by design and I have block out shades. This is important to help me fall asleep and also keeps the summer sunlight from waking me up in the morning. We use a Philips Wake-Up Light with sunrise simulation to wake us up with natural light and calming wake-up sounds. Before bedtime we use the relaxing sunset to hep us wind down after a busy day.
Having 20 to 30 minutes of quiet time before the family gets up sets precedence for the day. During this time, I open the bedroom window for some fresh air and always make the bed. No one likes getting into a messy bed a night and if the rest of the house is a mess, I feel comfort in knowing that at least one room in the house is tidy.
I’m not great at mediating in a traditional sense so I use an app and just listen to the music as I start the day. You can also put a flower in bedside vase or light a candle in your powder room while you get ready for your day. Creating a calming ambiance is good for the whole family!
- Helping your family cultivate calm:
When I get downstairs heat water for tea or lemon water and diffuse my favorite essential oils. Plant Therapy has a diffuser that will go on and off every few minutes or run for a set amount of time. This is helps to make sure your receive just the right amount of essential oil. Citrus and eucalyptus are my favorite in the morning and I use Tranquil or Relax in the afternoon or evening to wind down.
- Prepare what you can ahead of time
This is one that should be at the top of your list! Get yourself on a regular shopping schedule and make a weekly grocery store list. Stock the pantry and refrigerator so you are ready to create quick weekday meals. On Sunday I pull out ingredients for a couple of meals and start cooking. It’s super efficient to multitask in this situation as the kitchen is already a mess so why not be extra productive? Prepare what you can ahead of time. I clean and chop veges and marinate chicken or fish if I’m planning to grill on Monday. You can also set out your dry smoothie ingredients or make a container of overnight oats to help your Monday morning run smoothly. Left overs are helpful and make excellent lunch options. I put leftovers in eco-friendly, BPA free containers for those grab-and-run moments.
- Be Playful
Family life includes kids, pets, work, meal prep, laundry, and the like. Sometimes as parents we overwhelmed or outnumbered with all that’s going on with family matters. This feeling of being overwhelmed makes it easy to loose perspective and increase the chance we might miss opportunities to be playful and curious with our children. I used to feel so caught up in schedules, meal prep, and hose cleaning that I feel I missed some of those special moments with my kids. My husband prioritized differently and was exceptional at being playful. This playfulness didn’t come easy to me. Instead I felt I was more of a nurturer and thus played a more serious parenting role. Being playful with our children came easy to him. For me that playfulness didn’t come so easy. I’ve always felt the nurturer and care-giver, a more serious parental role.
My mom said something to me that I felt was excellent advice. She said that my children would never remember how clean my house was or whether or not each meal was perfect but they will remember the fun moments .. those moments in time when you are 100% present. If playing Peter Pan and Tinkerbell with your kids isn’t your thing, try bringing them into the kitchen to help you measure and stir, or into the garden to dig and plant flowers. Listen to your wiser self and embrace right now. It’s been years and guess what? I’m not perfect by any means, but I’m doing my best every day continue to grow and take those baby steps. There is always more to learn! Whatever it is that allows you to stop and hesitate for just a second, embrace that and find joy in each day.
- Always end the day on a good note
Take the edge off after a crazy day with an Emotional Detox Bath Soak (Martini is my favorite!) made with Himalayan pink salt and chia seed oil. Now is the time to relax the neck and shoulders, where stress tends to build up. Each packet contains enough salt for three baths. Sip tea, light a candle, read a book, or simply breath. an Emotional Detox Bath Soak (Martini is my favorite!) made with Himalayan pink salt and chia seed oil.
Morning essentials:
To help you relax at the end of the day:
Continue on our tour to see the ways that each blogger manages daily life, children, work, and “me-time”.
Head over to Bethany’s next to see how she balances it all!
Bethany from The Posh Home
Brittany from The Best in Blogs
Jenn from Jenn Lloyd Life & Style
Photography by Missy Palacol
Loved your tips Leslie! I need to implement the me time before the rest of the House wakes up! Such a great idea and totally going to incorporate the other ideas you suggested!! Xoxo
Bethany, I can’t tell you how much I love my morning time;) Even on days that we are traveling and need to get up super early to catch a flight, I always get up and have a few minutes of quiet. xo
I love the tips on keeping a calm space Leslie! We are trying to do this with our master bedroom right now, making it more of a retreat for us.
Hi Jenn, Creating that calm, serene space is so important but easier said than done when you have kids running around :)