10 Ways to Refresh Your Mom Heart By Tomorrow

As a mom to eight children, I can say that being a mom is completely exhausting at times. We are on call for all hours of the day and night for the most part, and our days are filled to overflowing.

Then, we get up the next day and do it all over again.

With my oldest child, who is now 16, I can say that being a parent is very front-loaded. When our kids are little, we pour out, we give out, we train, we correct, we provide, we nurture, we meet all of our young child’s physical needs, and do we even need to make mention of the messes?

So, if you are a mom of littles, I know how exhausting your days are, and I am tired just thinking about the many hats a mom to a little kid wears.

If you are a mom with older ones, I think you experience a different type of exhaustion all together. While some of living with older kids is repetitive, it is also a brand new adventure every day. Oftentimes, we can’t even imagine what we have to deal with next, which is probably a good thing!

Either way, we moms are tired. We moms are very tired, in fact.

With this in mind, doesn’t it sound great to be a new mom, one who is refreshed and energized in her parenting?

While I don’t have a magic wand to make our challenges disappear, I do have 10 things that I think we can do to be a new mom by tomorrow…no fairy dust necessary!

Give yourself permission to not be perfect

As a recovering perfectionist, the pursuit of perfection is exhausting. It is also futile. My kids don’t expect me to be perfect, therefore, I don’t need to either.

Know that your kids will embarrass you at times

Why is it that when you have guests over your kids start WWIII? How is it that when your kids have manners, they seem to completely forget them when you take them out in public? You can pretty much bank on the fact that your child who is not prone to having a temper tantrum will try it out the next time you are shopping. When you know that these types of things will happen, it keeps you from losing your cool when these things come to fruition. Losing your cool is never a fun time for anyone.

Ground yourself

As a Christian, this is what spending time in my Bible, in prayer, and in fellowship with others does for me. Grounding yourself every day, especially early in the day, is the best thing you can do to be a new mom by tomorrow.

Being a mom has been my highest calling and my greatest gift, but it isn’t always easy. If you find yourself in this camp with me, refresh your weary mom heart in God’s Word.

(Psst… make your quiet time simple and practical with the Women’s Bible Study Templates- in as little as 10 minutes a day.   Learn more here!)

Take the time to fill your tank

Because we have to give to others, we also have to give to ourselves. It doesn’t have to be much, but it has to be regular enough so that you have something to draw from all day every day. You are not being selfish, you are being human.

Avoid the comparison trap

I think if we are being honest, we moms can say that we all fall into this trap at times. There is nothing more exhausting than trying to measure up to what we see in others. Let’s remember that these other people are not perfect either.

Pursue a passion

Whether you take the time to cook a fancy meal once a week, take an art class, or start writing that book you’ve always dreamed of writing, pursue at least one passion at all times.

Nurture a relationship with a real friend

We all need to have at least one friend with whom we can be real. There is nothing more freeing than being able to be truly honest with another person without fear of being judged or rejected. Find this friend and then make the time to nurture your relationship.

Rest

Seems obvious, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. I am 100 percent guilty of not getting enough rest most of the time. Rest means sleep, rest means relaxation, and rest means times where your brain can just tune out. Don’t neglect rest.

Move

There is nothing better than getting the blood and juices flowing. Even if all you are doing is stretching, getting yourself moving every day does wonders for making us feel like a new woman.

Give

Small acts of giving to others fills our soul. Maybe it’s paying for your friend’s coffee, maybe it’s dropping a real card in the mail for your sister, or maybe it’s cleaning out a closet to donate clothes to someone in need. Find a way to regularly give to others.

How do you take care of yourself and renew your mom heart?