Are you mama chief to your tribe but struggle with being a mindful mama to your kids?
Running a business with a young family can be challenging especially if you cannot switch off the constant monkey mind chatter with your monumental to do list.
Mothers are incredible productive and are a driving force for the economy spending $132 billion a year. Mums are multitasking experts, managing kids, partners, school, work and wear many masks in their daily role as a mother.
One of the biggest struggles I hear from mums is that they cannot switch off from being a successful chief mama to being present with their kids. They are cooking dinner whilst writing a blog post in their head or bathing the kids thinking of what photos to use for their upcoming newsletter. Their mission is to get the kids in bed so they can sit down, take a breath and then carry on with their tasks.
And then the guilt creeps in. They have been stuck on auto-pilot and have missed precious moments with their kids because even though they were physically present, their were not really “there” at all.
Mums love to multi task and this is an essential skill when juggling so many balls but it also means that there are half drink cups of tea cluttering up the kitchen, unfinished lists, and nothing feels completed which leaves mums feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.
I am a mindfulness teacher and I mentor mums in business. I am founder of the award winning business Yoga Mamata and author of the award winning book Mother Om. I help mums manage the mayhem of motherhood and create a business they love by using the practice of mindfulness. This gives mums a way of re-connecting back to themselves after having kids and gives motherhood meaning and allowing mums to manifest their dreams.
So how do you switch between roles?
Manage your time –
We all have the same amount of time. 24 hours in a day. Manage your time so that when you work, you work. You are not being distracted by doing house work or scrolling through threads on social media. Mindfulness is doing one thing at a time. When you eat, eat. When you sleep, sleep. When your with the kids you are not working. Leave your phone on silent and focus on being a mindful mama. Unplug and play.
Be more productive by doing less –
I believe when you focus on the task at hand you can get a whole days work done in 2 hours. However we are constantly told to do more, serve more, and be better and the expectations you put on yourself keeps growing. When feeling overwhelmed. Do nothing. Yes nothing. Take a break. Go for a walk. Clarity comes in the stillness, not the busyness. Doing less means you are less stressed and more productive.
Let go of motherhood guilt –
We all feel guilty at times but this guilt does not serve us well and can consume us. Having a business that lights you up and brings you joy is essential to your wellbeing and self care. You should be your number one priority Business is 50% strategy and 50% mindset. Having a strong mindset where you can “let go” of emotions like guilt allows you to be more present and cultivate more self-compassion.
Clear your mind between tasks –
Using the senses is a great way to ground yourself into the present moment. The breath is your anchor. When it is time to pick up the kids take a few deep breaths or create a ritual that allows you to seperate being chief mama to being mindful mama. Play calm music in the car or drink a mindful cuppa, do a 3 minute mindfulness practice so you are not rushing. Your kids pick up on your energy. If you are distracted and stressed this is reflected in their behaviour that seeks more connection from you.
I love mentoring mamas and seeing them shine in their role of mindful mama and mama chief.
Book in a chat with me to see how I can help you blend motherhood and business. Click here
This post first appeared on Mums & Co.
