All moms crave balance! I have been a postpartum nurse since 2015, and I get the privilege of taking care of moms from all walks of life. I have found that no matter how much experience a mom has when it comes to raising babies, as a whole we are ill-prepared on how to balance being a mom and still being a human being with real needs. Moms spend months and sometimes years preparing for kids, but when the time comes to take the baby home, women are just expected to figure out how to take care of their child's needs while also maintaining their own.

When you become a mom, you are forced to learn to balance and juggle so many different things. I once heard this quote that said, "Juggling motherhood is not about learning to keep all the balls in the air; it really is about keeping the right balls up at the right time". To me, this is the essence of balance.

I know so many moms that hold themselves to an impossible standard, and in doing so they create such unnecessary stress. Just maybe the anxiety and overwhelm you are feeling is because you are going after something that doesn't exist.

And that's OK.

If you want to feel balanced while creating a life you love, you must know that there are days when you will give more time, energy, and attention to one area and learn to pivot and let go of others. For example, trying to tell a new mom to make sure she gets adequate sleep while she is getting up every hour to feed a baby is just setting her up for failure. Or maybe you are a mom that is trying to start a business or pick up a creative hobby, but you always thought because you stayed home you should maintain a clean house and have home-cooked meals. We can't do it all, and we never should be expected to!

Let's truly define what balance looks like.

1. The first one is that balance is a state of being or a feeling created by empowering thoughts and beliefs. So, if you want balance, you must believe powerful thoughts like life are actually unbalanced and that's how it should be.
2. Secondly, I believe many of us think we need balance in our external environment when what we need is emotional balance internally. This is accomplished by acknowledging however you feel and meeting yourself where you are at!
3. The third effective way to bring true balance comes when we stop compartmentalizing our life. As moms, no matter what we have going on in our worlds when it can flow together, we will find balance. For example. create a self-care routine or new business that allows you to also be flexible with your time and your schedule because you have kids, and well they are unpredictable.
4. You will find the most balance when you can learn to create a life where your mind can truly be where your body is. Learning to be fully present without worrying about all the other balls that you may have dropped is key to living a balanced life as a mom.

JOURNAL PROMPTS:

Whatever season you are in, ask yourself these important questions.

• What is calling for my attention during this season?
• How do I want to feel like a mom during this time?
• What do I need to let go of in order to maintain this feeling and truly find balance?

Feeling balance in motherhood will truly allow you to enjoy your life and your people in it!