Stay-at-Home Mom Motivation Tips for the Stressed-Out Mom
Are your days starting to run together, and the projects starting to pile up? You have stuff that NEEDS to be done. But your motivation is gone missing. Use these stay-at-home mom motivation tips to help you find focus, and finish what you start.
Recently I was on a decluttering binge, and decided to clean and organize my kitchen cabinets. I saved the big on for last. The dreaded pots and pans cabinet.
I had every single pot, pan, baking dish, muffin pan, cake pan and cutting board I own laying on my kitchen floor. I had washed out the inside of the cabinet. All that was left was to put everything back.
And suddenly, I completely lost all motivation.
Ugh. It happens. We get all excited about a project or task, get partway through, and then lack the motivation to finish it.
Obviously, this was a project I had to finish. Cookware cannot stay in the middle of the kitchen floor. I just had to do it. But not every task is that simple.
Sometimes it seems easier to just walk away from a project, promising yourself you’ll come back to it later. But “later” is pretty vague, and sometimes never happens.
I am a chronic procrastinator. I have lost sleep many, many nights finishing projects that should’ve been done days before.
Over time, I’ve learned a few tricks to help motivate myself to get things done. These tricks are simple, but effective. Hopefully, you can use them to find your own motivation as a stay-at-home mom.
Stay-at-Home Mom Motivation Tip #1: Do a Brain Dump.
Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with everything I need to do, that I feel paralyzed. So I do nothing.
Sometimes the thought process goes like this:
I need to wash the towels.
But there’s laundry in the washer that needs to go in the dryer first.
And there’s laundry in the dryer that needs to be folded.
But my laundry basket is full of clean laundry that needs to be put away.
I should empty the dishwasher first, and I’ll need my kitchen towel to dry the dishes.
I need to clean up the mess from breakfast, but I can’t do that until I unload the dishwasher….
And on and on it goes.
None of these tasks are huge time commitments. But when they’re added all together, they get overwhelming fast.
First, take a deep breath. Then, get some paper brain dump it all. Write down every single thing that you need to get done. That can include things like, “go pick up the kids from school.”
Whatever is on your mind and making you feel overwhelmed, dump it out.
Stay-at-Home Mom Motivation Tip #2: Break It Down.
When you look at the list that you just dumped, does it look as overwhelming as you first thought? Sometimes I find that it’s not as bad as I first thought. But even if it is, it’s time to face facts.
You probably can’t do every last thing. And that’s okay. “Tomorrow is another day,” to quote Anne Shirley. You can start again.
For now, really look at all you need to do. Break it down like this:
- 3-5 things that you need to do
- 3-5 things that you’d like to do
- everything else that you can do later
When you look at the list broken down into sections, it seems less overwhelming and more manageable. It will allow you to focus on what really matters.
You can also see the things on your list that maybe aren’t as important as you once thought.
We only have so many hours in a day. We must do things like sleep, eat and bathe. Understand that your time is finite, and you can only do a certain number of things. Saying no to some things is necessary.
Definitely dry that wet laundry…but maybe wait until tomorrow to wash the towels.
Stay-at-Home Mom Motivation Tip #3: Reward Yourself.
When I was in school we got a rewards slip every time we passed a test. It was great to be recognized by having your name called out for making a good grade.
But my elementary school self really loved the stickers on my reward slip. No, I am not six years old. But rewards are motivating no matter how old you are. (And stickers are always fun!)
You don’t need to do something crazy, or spend a ton of money. Or any money.
Just allow yourself a few minutes to do something you enjoy. Food is probably not the best idea as a motivator. But I do sometimes allow myself an afternoon coffee, or my current favorite Clio yogurt bar.
But you might also just let yourself scroll Instagram for a few minutes, or read a book, or take a bubble bath.
I know these things seem small. But sometimes you just need a little bit of encouragement. Sometimes an outside motivation is the best form of self-motivation. (Does that make sense?)
Remember Why You Do It
Even when you lack motivation, you still have to get it done. And sometimes that’s the best stay-at-home mom motivation tip of all. Just do it.
But the most important thing to remember is this: every task, chore or job that we do should be done for the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Ephesians 3:23
When we choose to see everything we do as service to God, even the little things are important. When you consider that what you’re doing matters, motivation might come a little easier!
I hope you find these stay-at-home mom motivation tips helpful! If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends on Facebook or pin to Pinterest!
