Motherkind is on a mission this Mother’s Day to inspire mums to take a moment to appreciate themselves and all they do – using the hashtag #mymotherkindday. A recent survey they conducted found that over 90 per cent of mums felt guilt, stress and overwhelm most days. It’s clear mums need to start being kinder to themselves, so what better day to start than today?
Here are six simple things you can do to give yourself some love this Mother’s Day, from Zoe Blaskey, founder of Motherkind:
1 Start the day with a guided meditation
I’ve recorded a special Mother’s Day guided meditation that’s only 5 minutes long and is specifically designed to help you feel the love from you, to you. You can download it for free, here.
2 Reminisce
Look back on old photos of you when your children were younger or before you were a mum. What do you see? I bet you see the beauty in yourself, maybe even how little you knew, yet how great a job you were doing. Find that feeling of love and compassion for yourself and apply it to yourself in this moment.
3 Have a little pride
We’re so quick to focus on the things we didn’t get right – the time we were late to pick the kids up, the times we shouted or lost our temper. But what about all the amazing things we’ve done – however big or small, from helping our children to read, to cooking them meals every day, to finally getting rid of the dummy or simply being there when they needed us. Negativity bias is the notion that our brains are wired to focus on the negative – in fact, some studies show that we need three positive things to counter the impact of one negative thought or action.
So, grab a pen and paper and write down 10 things you’re really proud of in your mothering journey so far. Better still, discuss it with your children – they might surprise you!
4 Reconnect to your dreams
As busy mums, it can be impossible to find the time to think about ourselves and what we want. When I work with mums one-on-one I hear all the time that we’ve lost touch with our hopes and dreams, or even who we are beyond being a mother, wife or employee. So this Mother’s Day, take 10 minutes for yourself and allow yourself to dream – you could use these questions as a prompt:
- What are my hopes and dreams for my life?
- What do I want to have done, learnt or changed by this time next year?
Choosing one dream that excites you the most, think about what small action you could take this month to make it happen. It could be as simple as reading a book on the subject, or discussing it with a friend.
5 Practice affirmation
Affirmations are a really simple way of reminding yourself how great you are and help counter any negative thoughts that may pop up. Choose an affirmation for your day and set an alarm on your phone 3 times throughout the day to remind yourself of it. Bonus points if you say your affirmation to yourself in the mirror – it’s hard, but very powerful.
Create your own, or use these ideas to get started:
- I am enough
- I am doing a great job
- I’m a good mother
- I am love and light
- It’s all happening perfectly
6 End your day with a gratitude list
Writing a gratitude list at the end of the day will anchor you in positivity before your head hits the pillow. Try writing at least 10 things you’re grateful for from the day – the more detailed the better, and nothing is too big or small.
For more tips on how to reconnect in the mayhem of modern motherhood, visit motherkind.co