5 Tips for Better Balance
I need BALANCE because...
I need practical, real, and achievable ideas for creating moments of connection and core memories with my kids, WITHOUT all the brain power of planning or the hours of set up and clean up.
I need simple and sustainable self care ideas that can become habits in my routine so I don't burn myself out and can keep my cup filled to pour out for my family.
I need systems and structure to actually tick off my chores around the house without procrastinating and avoiding until it turns into an overwhelmed-rage-cleaning-session that lasts all day without me feeling like I've actually achieved anything.
I want to live more in flow, ebbing with the needs of the house, the whims of my children, and the care for myself and where I land amongst it all.
I recently joined a new online movement called Balance for Parents, primarily because I actually need a more in-balance life in the areas I mentioned above; and if I get the opportunity to create more impact by sharing with other families who may be in the same boat as me, and genuinely wondering how find more flow in this crazy juggle of life and parenthood, then that's the cherry on top for me!
After 7 years in the online space, sharing a core message of achievable health and wellness for rural women and mums, the Balance Methodology aligns perfectly with what I already share, and includes real life tips and tools that I have enjoyed implementing in my own life and have seen real and tangible results already.
I found myself at 9 months postpartum, completely floundering. No structure, way too busy, out of my depth and beyond my capacity almost every single day. Something had to change. I knew what I was doing wasn't working, but as much as I tried to implement all the things that I knew would help and have worked for me in the past; I would only ever find a rare day or two of flow and then the chaos would descend again. Balance filled that gap for me, and allowed me to reset in a way that worked for me, at home on my own with two young children while my husband worked away during the week. So when you say you're too busy, that you have too much on, that you can't spare any time for yourself right now: I get it. That's exactly where I was too.
So if you're like me, a parent, on the land, or staying at home with your babies, and feeling the overwhelm creep in, or the pressures of life pinch... you might want to keep reading!
You don't need to completely change your life to feel more balanced. Sometimes we can hear the word balance and think huh, wouldn't that be nice, and completely dismiss it as even something that we get to have. But really, it can be a few small changes that can make all the difference.
Here's a few simple things that have helped me find more balance in just a few short weeks:
Don't over-plan your day.
What is important? What is urgent? And what is actually realistic for you to achieve today? If you write a million things on your to-do list, you're putting more pressure on yourself and are more likely to beat yourself up when things don't get done. Prioritise the needs; fit in a few wants; tick off something that feels important to get done; and leave some white space for your day to ebb and flow and not feel like you need to fill every minute!
Carve out some time to check-in with yourself.
Can you take a quick walk, or put your feet in the grass, or actually sit down and be present with your cuppa without bouncing up to do the next thing or falling into the scroll hole? Sometimes it feels like we always need to be "doing" and so we forget to just be. Even a few minutes off your feet while your brain freewheels with whatever thoughts come and go, without feeling obligated to execute every thought that comes up can be refreshing!
Do something intentional with your kids.
It fills their cup up; it fills your cup up. Something simple, like colouring in, a puzzle, or reading a book, can be all that's needed sometimes to reset the needy energy that's building up in the house. Or, if you're feeling up for it, take on a bigger challenge, like baking together, setting up some sensory play, or some other learning opportunity. I know I have a lot of rural mum's on my feed, like I am, and I get it - it can be so easy to fall into the habit of dragging the kids along for one chore and then the next and the next (and yes, the real life exposure is great too), but I've really noticed a benefit to intentional connected time, even if it's just 10mins on the swings, for the kids to feel like they matter in the day too!
Make something in your day easier.
We need solutions, not more work! When you have the capacity to cook extra, keep a few meal options in the freezer, so on the days you can't get it together to cook dinner, you still get a nourishing meal and full bellies before bed. When the toddler chaos of toys and whatever other random things they could get their hands on is scattered to the ends of the house and its wigging you out to step on something every time you turn around, grab a basket and just have an emu parade to get everything off the floor! It can be sorted another time, but clearing the clutter will help you clear your mind; even tidying one area or wiping the kitchen benches can help make things easier for future you!
Give yourself permission to adjust and permission to figure it out.
Just because something used to come easy to you before kids doesn't mean you can't adjust things to suit this new season of life! (When I had my first baby, I used to cook the dinner meal for lunch, because so often the night time meal would end up being a toasted sandwich when I was maxed to capacity.. so to actually get a nourishing meal into me, that was how I had to do it.) If something isn't working for your family, try something different; if that doesn't work, try something different again; you'll figure out and find your own flow!
And remember, I'm sharing these because I need the reminders as much as anyone! I'm still learning and figuring out what balance can look like for my family, so for more balance tips, follow along, or check out Balance for Parents for yourself!
A couple short months inside the Balance movement and I can genuinely say I've created more balance; more intentionality with my kids; more flow in my workload; and more balance in the in-between, squeezing in time for myself too! And no, not every day is easy, sometimes we fall back into tricky patterns, but at least now, I feel like I have the tools to get us all back on track again! This way, I consciously make time for the way I want my motherhood to look, and I don't feel guilty about it. My kids are easier to be around when their cups are filled and so is mine - and I get a creative outlet too!
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