BethelFitMum

How to Cultivate a Healthy Self-Care Routine

bethelfitmum — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 14:18:55 +0000

As a mother to 3 small children, living a busy life, I know all too well the importance of self-care. Self-care by definition is taking an active role in protecting your own well-being. Well being refers to the state of being healthy in body, in spirit and in mind. In otherwards, self-care as taking care of yourself physically, spiritually an emotionally.

Many people think of self-care as something that we do, or should do when we feel like we are reaching our limits, feeling stressed, overwhelmed or are completely burnt out. But, the truth is that self-care is not just some activity that we should get to once in a while, but something that we should try to live out EVERY SINGLE DAY. As the saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup”. Self-care is the method by which we fill our cups daily, so that we can pour into those that need us – our spouses, children, friends etc. Self-care is taking care of you, by you and for you, so that you can continue to do what you love with the people that you love.

While self-care is something that every single one of us needs, it will not be the same for everyone. What is relaxing for one person, may be very stressful for another person. It’s important to know yourself, what relaxes, energizes or uplifts you. A healthy self-care routine should consist of REST, MOVEMENT, NOURISHMENT & PAMPERING.

REST– I have put this first because most women do not get nearly enough rest. No matter what stage or season of life you are in, chances are you have many responsibilities that may drain you and tire you out daily – homemaking, caring for children, running a business, or working a 9-5 job. Women are nurturers by nature and this can often leave us tired and worn. Chronic lack of sleep can affect your health, mood, productivity and happiness. It’s not always easy to “get more sleep” especially when you’re in a season of newborns and toddlers, but you can try your best to go to bed early or fit in a nap when you need to. Getting enough sleep is important , but rest doesn’t only refer to sleep – it also refers to getting some downtime/quiet time to recharge each day. In order to fit in more rest we need to;

• Practice saying NO sometimes. We can’t be everywhere and do everything if we truly want to take care of ourselves. It’s important to know what your limit is and to stop BEFORE your reach it.

• Practise saying YES sometimes. Yes to help – from your spouse, family, friends and sometimes even strangers. Saying yes to help can free up more time for us to rest, even if its just for a few minutes.

MOVEMENT – Movement doesn’t always have to look like going to the gym or going for a run. Movement is simply any physical activity that you enjoy doing – i.e. walking, dancing, swimming etc – the most important thing is to make sure you move daily and that you have fun doing it. In order to ensure that you fit in movement daily you need to consider your unique circumstances and season of life and do what works for now – follow the path of least resistance;

• Go for a walk if the weather is nice and the kids are getting restless

• Turn on some music and DANCE if you like to dance

• Exercise at home if life is just too busy right now for you to get to the gym

NOURISHMENT – Nourishment for self-care involves feeding your mind and your spirit. Nourishing your mind means feeding it with things that you find interesting and inspirational – like reading a good book or listening to a good podcast. Nourishing your spirit means taking time out daily for prayer, quiet meditation and to recharge from the inside out. Find pockets of time in your day that are less busy and fit in nourishment, it could be listening to a podcast while you fold laundry, or waking up early to pray and read your Bible. Do what works for you. In this season with a baby and very busy days, I can’t usually get up before the rest of the family so I wait till the big kids are off to school and use those 2-3 hours my personal nourishment time.

PAMPERING – This is something that we all crave and we all need. It might not be possible to get pampered everyday but we can make it a regular occurrence by scheduling it in. Going to the spa, getting massages, getting a mani-pedi or simply declaring a “no work day” for yourself every so often are great ways to pamper yourself.

Self-care is not selfish, cultivating healthy self-care routines for ourselves is essential for our well being.

What steps will you take today to help you cultivate a healthy self-care routine?

The Begining of my 3rd Postpartum Journey

bethelfitmum — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 08:05:24 +0000

Hello and thanks for stopping by

It’s been a while since I was last here and a lot has changed since then. I gave birth to baby number 3 ( a beautiful baby girl) in July! The last few months has been hectic as we went from a family of 4 to a family of 5, and have been establishing and adjusting to a new normal around here. Baby girl is now 3months+ and I can finally see the light at the end of the newborn tunnel. Don’t get me wrong I have enjoyed these last few months and made a point to savour ALL of it, because I know that while the days may feel long now, time is short, and all my babies will be all grown up in no time. But I’m happy to be sleeping better and being able to do some of the things that I love again, like exercising, reading and going out of the house!

The postpartum journey has been interesting this time around. While I worked out throughout the pregnancy (a first for me) the postpartum period has been a slow and steady return to exercise- especially after a repeat C-section. I am now back to training more frequently and loving it. My current regimen consists mostly of strength training with light weights, some low impact cardio, yoga/stretching and I introduced barre this week!

Being that this is my third postpartum journey, it is definitely not my first time at the rodeo. However, each of my journeys has been different, as I have gotten more educated about postpartum exercise and gotten to understand my body better. I have learned that postpartum fitness should be handled with care to ensure that one does not injure themselves or burn out from overdoing it. I have learned that postpartum is not just about weight loss or the “snap back”, but about restoring strength and function. My new mantra is “I am not trying to get my body back, because I did not lose it, it changed to grow a baby, and it will find it’s new normal as I continue to take are of it and myself”.

What does that look like right now? It looks like getting as much sleep as I can, fueling my body with healthy food (most of the time) and moving my body daily (not necessarily in a structured workout). It means giving myself grace, because daily my to-do-list goes unfinished. It means not comparing my journey to the next person, because while things may look similar on the outside, there is no way of knowing what that person’s life is REALLY like and what their own struggles are. It means COMMUNITY! I have always been big on community, but now I cherish it even more! Along with my support system at home, I have connected with some other amazing #fitmamas over the last few months they have become almost like family. We cheer for each other, and we encourage each other, and we learn from each other. It is not about who can snap back faster, but about sharing and caring as we all navigate this season together.

While the current season of life has come with its unique set of challenges, it has also been a wonderful time of growth for me. I have learned, and continue to learn so much, and I am so excited to share what I am learning with you guys as a go along!

It feels great to be back!

C- section Awareness I wear my scar with pride

Tolu — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 13:00:32 +0000

It’s Cesarean Section (C-section Awareness month). As a mother who has experienced both a “natural” delivery (1st) and a C-section (2nd), I have some thoughts …

Let me explain why I put “natural” in quotation marks. At 38+ weeks pregnant with my first child in July 2011, I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and had to be admitted and induced. The induction did a serious number on my body, labor progressed slowly and PAINFULLY and I ended up having to use pain medications (laughing gas, morphine and an epidural) to make it through the 36-hour ordeal. Eventually after pushing for almost 5 hours I was given an episiotomy so that that baby could come out. You see I have a very small cervix and apparently my body was not interested in tearing by itself. I rejoiced about being able to PUSH the baby out but the recovery from all the drugs, and the healing from my episiotomy was slow and uncomfortable.

Fast-forward almost 3 years later when I had my second child. I arrived at the hospital having fallen into labor naturally just a couple of days shy of my due date. Mentally and emotionally prepared for another “natural” delivery, this time without and medication or medical intervention. I had been in the hospital barely an hour when I was informed that “something was wrong”. I ended up with an emergency C-section and a 10 lb baby! Turns out my princess child was too big and sunny side up (facing upward) and couldn’t pass through my cervix. From arriving at the hospital to holding my daughter in my arms was barely 3 hours…For a few days, weeks and even months after, I felt like I had failed because I was unable to have my baby “naturally”. It took me a while to come to grips with the situation, firstly that my baby was BIG and my tiny cervix would never have been able to push her out, and secondly that there was actually less intervention with my C-section delivery than with my supposed “natural” one.

Now let’s return to the word “natural”. While I was apparently happier with my first delivery experience than my second, it was not by any means more “natural” – there was a lot more medical invention. I have now come to accept and realize that each pregnancy and delivery experience will be different and that what matters is that baby and mother are healthy. I am grateful for the timely invention by my OB and the fact that my daughter was born safe and healthy. As a mother who has experienced both a vaginal and C-section delivery, I wear my scar with pride.

Benefits of Wearing A Good Sports Bra

bethelfitmum — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 22:51:56 +0000

Hello Ladies and welcome to another edition of HELP For Mums.

As mothers one area of our bodies that gives us much concern, especially during our child bearing years, yet we have the so little information about, is our boobs.
In this special guest blog post, Toyin Shogaolu Founder of Trinitee Lingerie sheds some light on the importance of wearing a good sports bra. Toyin holds a BA (hons) degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Management. She currently works in Project Management within the financial services industry, but her passion is educating women about bras and thereby helping them feel good from the inside out and show forth Gods image.

A bit about my story…When I started wearing a bra as a young lady, my mum always got me a 36DD, it wasn’t until I came to the UK many years later that I found out I had been wearing the wrong size all along! You can imagine my shock!

When I decided to start exercising, I went to a regular sports store to purchase a sports bra, but it didn’t support me the way I needed it to. I realized that I would have to do some research to find out what would work best for me as I am quite busty. I did my research and ended up purchasing a sports bra from a store which catered to big busted ladies. I was overjoyed to find the perfect bra which allowed me to exercise without my boobies flying around and making me feel uncomfortable :D.

Survey shows that more than 3/4 of women wear the wrong type of bra for exercising.
Everyone wants to have the latest and chicest fitness apparel and shoes, but many neglect the sports bra which could just well be the most important piece of clothing for a woman when exercising. Whether you are big busted or small busted, weather you are running or weight training, or even doing yoga, it is important for you to ensure that you wear a good sports bra.

The 3 Major Benefits of Wearing a Good Sports Bra
1. A good sports bra helps minimize movement and bounce during exercise – whether you’re running, doing a HIIT workout or playing sports. Running without a bra causes the average woman’s breasts to move up and down by 85 per cent. Wearing a regular bra or sports bra reduces this by 32 per cent. A good sports bra reduces this by at least another 20 per cent.

2. A good sports bra helps maintain breast shape. Exercising with a bra that doesn’t support the breast properly may cause discomfort and pain, as well as stretched skin and ligaments, which could eventually lead to the boobs drooping and breasts being saggy. A good sports bra would support you and keep this from happening to your breasts prematurely.

3. A good sports bra helps you stay comfortable while exercising as it helps regulate sweat and temperature controls. Good sports bras are made from cotton blends which help you stay cool so that you don’t get hot and too sweaty – which could cause discomfort. Good sports bras also help minimize sweat stains which is a huge thumbs-up

You may think that investing in a good sports bra is expensive but I believe that it is a very worthwhile investment if you want to reap the above mentioned benefits and enjoy your workouts.

Toyin Shogaolu
Instagram – @trinitee_lingerie
email – toyin@trinitee-lingerie.com
Website – http://trinitee-lingerie.com

The Importance of Healthy Nutrition & Exercise Before and During Pregnancy

bethelfitmum — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 19:15:24 +0000

Many new mums embark on a healthy lifestyle or weight loss journey after having a baby in an attempt to lose the baby weight. However what many don’t realize is that their nutritional and exercise habits prior to and during pregnancy are of great importance and can affect the health and wellness of both mother and baby during the prenatal and postpartum journey.

The process of getting pregnant can be an emotional venture for some, and pregnancy itself can be equally or even more emotional due to the hormonal and physical changes that the body undergoes. Cultivating healthy habits prior to getting pregnant and maintaining them during pregnancy can help mums cope with these changes and prevent the common pregnancy risks outlined below;

1.Excessive Weight Gain – This is by far the biggest risk during pregnancy. Healthy weight gain is recommended to be between 25-35lbs (11-14kg) for most women but many women gain much more than this because of poor eating habits and lack of exercise prior to and during pregnancy. When trying to get pregnant eating a healthy balanced diet, taking a folic acid (Vitamin B9) supplement and avoiding alcohol, helps prepare the body for pregnancy. During pregnancy the body only requires an additional 300 calories per day, so there is really no need to “eat for two”. Partaking in regular physical activity before and throughout pregnancy is advised to prevent excessive weight gain.

2.Gestational Diabetes – Gestational diabetes occurs when the body is unable to make and use insulin properly during pregnancy. This results in an increase in blood glucose, which causes weight gain for both mother and baby. Women with a higher starting pre-pregnancy weight and a diet high in sugary foods are more susceptible to gestational diabetes. For this reason eating healthy before and during pregnancy (watching sugar intake) is a good idea for any mum or mum to be. Partaking in regular exercise is also recommended to help burn up extra glucose and prevent/control gestational diabetes.

3.High Blood Pressure – Lack of proper eating and exercise habits prior to pregnancy can lead to excessive weight gain during pregnancy, this increases the likelihood of pregnancy-induced hypertension. Since an increase in blood volume occurs when a woman is pregnant, the heart has to work harder. For this reason cardiovascular exercise is recommended before and throughout pregnancy to keep the heart strong.

4.Joint, Ligament & Lower Back Pain – There is more weight and strain on a woman’s joints, ligaments and back during pregnancy, not to mention that pregnancy hormones cause everything to “relax”. Also muscle loss during pregnancy is inevitable. Regular strength & flexibility training prior to getting pregnant and during pregnancy ,including core and pelvic floor exercises, will help combat these issues by strengthening the muscles.

Even if you are already pregnant it is not too late to cultivate some healthy habits. Eating healthier never hurt anyone and starting an exercise regime in any trimester is safe provided that there are no previous health concerns or complications in the pregnancy. Studies have shown that there is no correlation between exercise and miscarriages or any other prenatal complications of any kind.

Cultivating Healthy Eating Habits

bethelfitmum — Fri, 12 May 2017 06:16:26 +0000

Calories are probably the most counted and feared of anything in the world because many people don’t have a good understanding of what a calorie really is.

A calorie is a unit of heat and simply measures the amount of energy available in food.
WHERE you get your calories from is more important than the AMOUNT of the calories.

If you are trying to lose weight or want to improve your health, what you eat is very important.
While it is a good thing to be conscious of the amount of calories that you consume, simply focusing on quantity and not quality can lead to poor eating habits that will be counter-effective to your goals such as;

Skipping meals because you have over indulged at a previous meal or plan to over indulge at a later meal. This habit teaches your body to hoard calories and also slows down your metabolism.
Under eating because you are trying to stick to a certain daily calorie intake. This habit may result in you feeling hungry and lethargic all the time and can lead to unhealthy binge eating.
Stress when you are unable to figure out or calculate the number of calories in a given meal or when you are not able to prepare your own meals. This could affect your enjoyment at social situations and gatherings.

If you would like to cultivate and maintain healthy eating habits that will be sustainable in the long run, here are some helpful tips;

Go for nutrient dense foods rather than just low calorie foods.
White rice contains LESS calories than brown rice. However, brown rice is more nutrient dense as it contains more fiber which improves satiety and helps keeps you fuller for longer. It also contains more of the naturally occurring vitamins/minerals which are stripped out of the white rice during processing.
Eat more vegetables
Most vegetables are low in calories and packed with nutrients, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients . Including a variety of different colored vegetable in your diet is beneficial to health and weight loss.
Eat your calories, don’t drink them.
Most drinks contain large amounts of empty calories. A liquid drink may contain 400 calories made up mostly of sugar and fat and will not fill you up/satisfy you like a 400 calories plate of food. You are better off eating a meal and drinking water.

Practical Fitness Tips for the Working Mum

bethelfitmum — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 16:57:28 +0000

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Many women struggle to lose weight after having a baby. Even those that are able to lose weight initially often that they gain it all back (and more) when they return to work, or as their baby gets older and becomes less dependent on them.

I struggled to lose weight after my first baby and eventually resolved to the idea that once you have a baby you will have to “look like a mummy” as people told me (whatever that means). After my second baby was born, I got serious and took control of my health and fitness and was able to lose all the weight from both pregnancies, and then some. But then I went back to work….and even though I knew what to do, I struggled because my schedule and routine had suddenly changed and I now had less time and more temptations/constraints, so I had to come up with a plan to make sure that I would not undo all of my hard work in a short period time. If you are a working mum or a mum who will soon be returning to work, the following tips can help you get back on track or to keep the momentum going when you return to work. [/text_output][text_output]1.) Schedule in your exercise time You’ve probably heard the saying “schedule in your big rocks” , well your exercise time is a BIG ROCK, and you need to schedule it in the same way you schedule in your meetings and appointments. This way you receive a visual reminder and no one or nothing can take that time from you. You could schedule it in before work, during your lunch break, after work or even at any time during the day if your work place is flexible. It doesn’t need to be a large amount of time, 20 – 30 minutes is all you need. Even if you don’t have a gym nearby you can go for a power walk, a jog or take advantage of a fitness class offered nearby. The important thing is to try and find a convenient and consistent time that you can commit to and to guard that time jealously.[/text_output][text_output]2.) Plan/Prepare all your meals for the week Not only will this save you time, but it will also save you money. Failing to plan/prep/pack you meals will mean that you have to eat out often- which can get very expensive very fast.

For breakfast have simple things prepared at home that you can easily grab on your way out or that require little prep time, i.e. smoothies with some hard boiled eggs, or overnight oats. You can also leave some stuff at work for the days that you don’t have time to prepare a meal at home. I leave a bag of oatmeal in my desk at work and some fruits and yogurt in the fridge for days like this.

Prepare and pack your lunches to work. This can be a bit awkward at first if you are a very social person or work with very social people that like to go out to eat in groups often, but there is nothing wrong with bringing you own food along on such occasions. You will be setting a good example for those around you J. Dinner is the meal that most people fall through on, so make sure to have something prepared for so that when you get home at the end of the day you do not undo all your hard work with just one meal. Dinners do not have to be complicated. You can simply grill some chicken or fish at the beginning of the week and have it with veggies or portion out your dinner the same way you do your lunches and just warm them up when you get home. To avoid getting home feeling supper famished have a small snack before you begin your commute home so that you don’t walk through the door and grab that first thing that you see.

[/text_output][text_output]3.) Get up and MOVE When you are at home with a baby, even if you aren’t actively exercising, chances are you were busy attending to (or chasing after) you baby, taking care of the house, running errands, going to the mall, or having play dates with other mums/babies . But at work, most of us sit down all day which can have serious adverse effects on not just our weight but also our overall health. You have to consciously make an effort to move around during the day. Set reminders for yourself- use your watch, an app on your phone, or even your work calendar. Take a walk around your office, go outside for some fresh air, or take a “coffee break” and skip the coffee :)[/text_output][text_output]4.) Get a buddy at work It’s important to have an accountability partner, especially on the days when they just don’t feel like it. Since majority of your time/day is spent at work it may help to find a colleague or a friend who works close by to be your buddy. The truth is there is likely another mother who is struggling like you are and needs accountability too, so don’t shy to talk to someone and ask them to be your buddy.[/text_output][text_output]5.) Get your family involved Let your family members keep you accountable too. You can get them involved by telling them your goals and plans and asking them to encourage you. You can get everyone’s help and input into the weekly meal planning and prepping to save yourself time and energy. You can ask your spouse to make sure that you wake early if you want to go to the gym in the morning before work. You can plan family walks or workouts for evenings and/or weekends when you are all home together – taking a walk or riding your bikes to the park is a great way to bond/exercise as a family.[/text_output]

BEING A THANKFUL MUM

bethelfitmum — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 11:35:29 +0000

Hello and welcome to another edition of HELP For Mums.

It’s been a busy weekend for me as it’s thanksgiving day, aka “turkey day” here in Canada – a time set aside for us to get together with our loved ones and appreciate each other – without the glitz, glam, and gift giving pressures as experienced at Christmas time.I spent the day with family and had a wonderful time eating, dancing and making memories ! I am indeed very grateful to God for my amazing family.

As I ponder on all that I am thankful for today – I can’t but thank God for my children and thank God that I am their mother!

Let’s be honest, being a mum can be very overwhelming! Constantly having little people following you around, demanding your attention, and needing needing your help. Hardly having any time to yourself and constantly getting interrupted when you try to get some alone time.

Motherhood is a full-time position with no days off! But I wouldn’t trade it for the world! My children are my big WHY to so much of what I do – I want to be able to be the best mum to them (God helping me). Even though I had 2 difficult pregnancies and deliveries I’m so thankful for the two beautiful lives that these experiences produced. Psalm 127:3 tells us that “Children are a gift of the Lord…”. And what an awesome gift they are! I am grateful that it was through these experiences that I found my love and passion for health and fitness and am able to share it with all of you.

Today and everyday God helping me, I chose to be a thankful mother and take Philippians 4:8 to heart “Now, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things”.

Happy Thanksgiving from Bethel Fit Mum

3 Tips to Help You Achieve Your Fitness Goals in 2016

bethelfitmum — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 05:47:10 +0000

Hello and welcome to another edition of HELP For Mums. A platform for us to share our struggles and successes on this journey to achieving a healthy lifestyle balance. Whether you’re a stay at home mum, a working mum, a mum to be, or a mum at heart this platform is for you!

So it’s October already, 3/4 of the year is gone and there are only about 90 days left in 2016! If you are like more than 70% of people who set a fitness goal this year, you have not yet achieved your goal or you have completely abandoned it! At this junction, you have two options – you could either remain where you are, justify all the reasons why you have fallen off the wagon and admit defeat; or you could make the most of these last 3 months of the year by taking some ACTION!

If you chose to take action here are 3 tips to help you make the most of it;

1.) Don’t Get Hung Up On Numbers
I’m not saying that setting a goal weight for yourself or having a timeline is a bad thing. But as women we are notorious for setting large weight loss goals and giving ourselves tight timelines. The negative effect of this is that when we don’t see the numbers that we like as quickly as we had hoped, we are more likely to get discouraged, give up, and often times digress.
When we remain fixated on achieving a certain weight, or try to meet a certain timeline, we are less likely to notice the daily, weekly or monthly gains.
The truth is that the numbers on the scale are not the only measures of success.
Ask yourself these questions often;
“Do I have more energy, strength, endurance? ”
“Do my clothes fit better?”
“What positive changes have I made and been able to stick to”?
I’m sure that if you ask yourself some of these questions you will find that you are being successful after all.

2.) Have A Plan
As the saying goes “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. It can be very overwhelming to embark on a fitness journey without a plan. Not knowing what you are doing can cause you to do nothing all together. Winging it is not a very good idea, especially if you are just starting out.
So sit down, write out some REALISTIC goals and make a plan.

Decide how many days in week you will exercise, for how long and at what time of the day. Then put in your day planner, phone, set a reminder – whatever you have to do to make sure you don’t “forget”.
Decide what kind of exercises you will be doing. Do some research, find some videos, get a plan made for you by a fitness expert etc. It will reduce stress and frustration and save you time.

3.) Get Accountability
If you are struggling to stay committed/motivated to your fitness goals despite all your best efforts, you might just need a PUSH. And getting an accountability partner might be just the push you need.
It could be;

Your spouse
A friend
A workout buddy
A coach
A personal trainer
A boot camp

Whatever your preference, it’s always great to surround yourself with people that can motivate and encourage you and who have your best interests at heart.
This doesn’t mean that you will have to depend on someone forever, as the lifestyle becomes more a habit, you may find that you are able to motivate yourself and continue on your own.

“Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers” – 3 John 1:2

Here’s to a healthier and more successful final 1/4 of 2016!

BFM

Maximizing Your Time By Living A Blended Life

bethelfitmum — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 19:01:01 +0000

Hello Ladies and welcome to another edition of HELP For Mums. Today we round up the guest blogger series that has been running for the last few weeks. I have featured some amazing mums this month that motivate and inspire me and as usual I have saved the best for last
Detola Amure is an amazing woman of God and the Founder of SuperWorking Mum. She is a best selling author, mentor to many (including me) and runs the Super Working Mum Academy where she helps Christian working mothers all over the world MAXIMISE their time so they can MANIFEST their God given dreams. I am a testimony to how amazing the work that Detola does is! Before I joined the Super Working Mum Academy I was extremely overwhelmed with the demands of life and didn’t believe that I had time to do much else but be wife, mum and work – but working with Detola has been such a blessing and has changed my life! I could go on and on about how amazing this lady and the SWM community is but I will stop here and let you hear some amazing wise words from her as she shares on the principles of living a Blended Life.

It can be tough juggling work and family life. As a busy wife and mum of 2 young children- 6 years and 3 years old, I know all about juggling work, spiritual growth and family life. A lot of mothers focus on work life balance however the dilemma with work life balance is that you are only able to focus on two aspects of your life at any given time while everything else is floating in the air.

We all know as mothers we have a million and one things we are juggling at a time…i.e- marriage, children, friends, work, business, hobbies etc and this defeats the work life balance theory. In my experience working with busy mothers, I believe the way forward is living a blended life, where you have your relationship with God at the center and every other relationship or role that you play stems from there. By living a blended life you avoid unnecessary stress and overwhelm.I go into a lot more detail in my book Super Working Mum, Living and Loving Life to the fullest.

Here are some of my top tips for living a blended life;

Spend time with God: Like I mentioned the most important relationship you should cherish as a woman is your relationship with God. Make your daily time with God the first thing you do every morning. He is the source of your strength so it makes sense to spend time with him every morning to recharge your “batteries”
On the back of that, take care of you first – your spiritual (as discussed above), physical and mental health. If you do not take care of you, you won’t have the ability and energy to juggle anything. If you keep running on low one day you will crash.
Get support, you cannot do it alone. Build relationships with other working mums, join a support or accountability group and share your victories and trials together. No (wo)man knows it all.
Always use a to do list on a daily basis. You need to know what your top three priorities are on a daily basis and focus your time on that before working on non essentials. You will get more done this way with little stress.
Sometimes things will happen and not go according to your plan for the day. Stay flexible; adjust your expectations accordingly so you don’t get worked up.
Learn to laugh– things are not always as bad as they look. Having a good sense of humour does wonders for you keeping calm and dealing with overwhelm
From the start of your day, choose how you will respond to every challenge that comes your way. Affirm to yourself that you will be calm no matter what. You may not always get it right but the key thing is you are now aware that you can choose how to respond to circumstances on a daily basis.
Learn how to say no. You don’t have to say yes to every request thrown at you. You are not doing yourself any good by taking on more than you can actually do.
Become a master in delegating. You will feel less overwhelmed and calmer when you delegate tasks you find draining, daunting or difficult.
Don’t compare your life to others. You are unique and special in your own way. God made you the mother of your children because He knew you would be the best mum for them. I know the grass always looks greener on the other side, but I will encourage you to stay in your lane and water your own grass!