Has working motherhood in this busy age got you turning yourself in circles? Trying to do all the things for everybody, to keep the family going, your work going, your relationship going, and not lose yourself throughout your journey?
We know that working mothers are 28% more likely to suffer burnout than working fathers (Maven, 2020), and that 73.7% of couple families with kids under 15 have a mum that works (ABS 2021). So what can we do about the changing face of working motherhood?
Navigating the busy to find a way to maintain our health whilst continuing on with our career can easily result in burnout and overwhelm. These 5 Simple Pillars of Healthy Motherhood can guide you towards a healthier working motherhood, minus the increasing overwhelm.
1. Nourishment
Choosing to eat whole or real foods slowly, without rushing, can be a gamechanger. How have our requirements for food altered now we are a mum, and how is all of this rushing around, eating on the run, and lack of community with food impacting on our health?
Simply begin by asking:
What real food am I getting in my day?
When was the last time I actually sat down, chewed and tasted the food I’m consuming?
2. Movement
As we move through different seasons of life as a woman (adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy, matrescence, post-partum), it changes how we move our bodies. We are bombarded by messaging to get our pre-baby bodies back, yet sometimes, when we are busy working and our system is in overwhelm, heavy exercise can make us unhealthier.
Try beginning your movement journey with asking yourself:
What movement makes me feel good afterwards?
How can I get this regularly in my week?
3. Thinking & Calm
In our very busy society, the more we rush, become ‘mum’s taxi’, and answer emails at all hours of the night… the more we ramp up our body and brain into busy mode! Whilst our amazing human brain is capable of doing so much, it needs to have downtime to heal and function well. Reclaiming some ease, breath and calm with small moments each day can create a big change.
Ask yourself:
How can I give 5 minutes to me today?
Where can I purposefully slow my breath today?
4. Sleep
Sleep as a working mum shouldn’t be a laughable concept.
In fact the day I write this, I spent 3 hours sleeping on a couch close to my son’s room so I could hear if he woke up unwell, #mumlife! But the quantity and quality of our sleep can drive our healing, our health and our perception of stress.
Today why don’t you try:
- Jumping into bed 30 minutes earlier.
- Decreasing that caffeine load after lunch to allow your body’s natural sleep rhythm to begin to kick in.
5. Connection
We are designed for human interaction, and when we become a mum, and especially a working mum, we often put this right on the back burner as nice… but only if x, y or z has happened. My challenge for you is to schedule in a social connection time with a girlfriend that isn’t centred on the kids or work… and try and make it happen in the next few weeks.
Healthy working motherhood doesn’t have to be hard or difficult, but it does need to be a bit more conscious. The societal drive to work as if we don’t have kids, and parent as if we don’t have a job is impacting on the health of families, and I really hope that you can find a way to choose something different for yourself. My hope for you is that you can have it all: health; self; connection; and family.
And along the way, get the privilege to choose your own adventure.
Ali Young, author of Work.Mama.Life. From motherhood burnout to abundant health, joy and wellbeing (Wiley $29.95), is a highly sought-after speaker, chiropractor and online coach who helps mothers the world over rediscover joy in their world, health in their body and connection with their families. For more information visit www.draliyoung.com