I almost named this episode Finding Alignment as a Mom, and quickly changed it to Creating Alignment because let’s be real – we rarely just “find” time to put ourselves first these days!
I find it funny when people say “I just don’t remember what like was like before having my child! I can’t imagine life without them!”.
And I’m like, O I remember.
And as much as I love being a mom and my son – that life was pretty damn good too!
Gone are the days of naturally waking up, going about your morning as slow as you’d like, spending whatever time you need to get into a really good feeling place before beginning your workday.
Beyond any scheduled calls, I used to flow throughout the morning and day, and create a schedule that best suited me. Maybe I’d throw in a meditation and journaling session before emails, or go get my nails done or a massage in the middle of a weekday. I let my intuition guide me and had so much freedom.
I used share all the time about prioritizing your self care and your energy before others so you can show up as your best self.
Then, I became a mom.
Becoming a mom requires a reinvention of the way you operate in your everyday because you have a little human needing you sometimes 24/7 who has to come first a lot of the time. And if you’re running a business on top of this – there’s even more people pulling for your time and attention each day!
It’s so easy to let things that you used to do to create alignment in your life fall to the wayside as a mom. And also so important we bring these things back to our lives often.
Before I share a few tips about creating alignment as a mom – I wanted to quickly touch on what exactly Alignment even is.
Alignment means there is a harmony and a congruence between our thoughts, emotions, beliefs and actions. When these are all in alignment together we feel so much better! We may have more energy, more peace, more satisfaction.
In terms of mindset, Alignment would mean your values, passions and aspirations and aligned with your thoughts and actions. This creates a greater sense of purpose and that feels really true to YOU.
Being in alignment also can mean being more connected with your higher self. This creates more fulfillment and inner peace. It’s about listening to your intuition, honoring your values, being your authentic and taking actions accordingly.
Physically it could mean taking care of your body in a healthy way that’s right for you.
There are practices to help you cultivate more alignment in your life, and everyone is different with what brings them joy – and what they personally need in order to feel more internally aligned.
For me personally, practices that cultivate more alignment in my life are:
- Meditation
- Breathwork
- Being in Nature
- Journaling
- Traveling
- Exercise
The biggest part of all of the above for me is having ALONE time to do these practices. And when you’re a mom running a business… alone time can be hard to come by!
Often days are filled with caring for Jack, working, cooking, cleaning, spending a little time with my husband in the evening, o, and sleeping. Then we throw in extra things like social commitments and big life changes like moving across the world, and we wonder why we’re feeling a bit spread all over the place.
Here are a few ways I’ve found helpful when creating more time for YOU – to do the things that light you up and bring more alignment into your life.
#1: Continue to tune into your intuition, heart, and soul with making decisions
This one is less about “alone time” or “doing” something – and more so about continuing to take actions in your life from an authentic place that aligned with your values.
When we are making decisions and taking actions related to business, parenting, relationships and any other area of our life – if we are doing to from this place it will automatically create more internal alignment and peace.
#2: Know what you need
If you don’t know what you need – how can you set aside time for it and ask for it?
While alone time is a big one for me personally, not everyone is like this! Many people thrive with being surrounded by others and with more activity around them.
If you’re having a hard time imagining this now that you have a child – think back to before you became a mom. What types of things brought you joy, allowed you to feel more refreshed and centered?
#3: Schedule it in, and get people on board
Again, most likely you wont be finding all this spare time on your hands, so scheduling in those practices and activities that help create more alignment for you is key as a mom.
For me, this might look like telling my husband I needed the AM (or even just an hour) completely to myself on a weekend. Not for working, not for cleaning or errands. But just to BE.
Maybe I’d go to the beach and sit/journal. Maybe I’d go for a walk. Maybe I’d send them away to the park and have the house to myself to relax or nap. It was less about exactly what I did, and more so about having some kind of down time where I wasn’t checking another thing off my to do list. I could just be with myself, my thoughts, my feelings, and tune in.
For me this also looks like having a workout routine I can actually do, and personally I need a scheduled class I can physically go to. I don’t do as well working out from home, there are too many distractions! Plus it’s fun to get out of the house to a new environment where that is my sole focus. I also know I’ll be more likely to follow through with something Im paying for.
Now, this does come with more scheduling and preplanning to make sure Jack gets looks after! I try to schedule the classes in the early evening when Stephen is off work and can watch him – but if needed I sometimes go when the nanny is here because I know it’s worth it.
#4: Get creative with your time
When time isn’t on your side sometimes we have to get a little creative to create more moments for ourselves.
I love when I purposefully, or accidentally wake up before Jacks away. Having an hour or so of peace in the AM before all the morning shenanigans begin feels so good. This may mean just showering/getting ready for the day on my own, or sitting down with a coffee for some quiet reflection time.
I’ve also used some nanny covered time which is typically meant for working, for personal time. There is nothing wrong with spending the first 30min-hour of childcare time focused on YOU, before diving into work. It’s worth the investment.
If evening works for you – take advantage of after bedtime for things other than Netflix. I personally am not a night person and would much prefer to wake up earlier for some extra Me time. But if you’re more of a night owl then evenings after the kiddos are asleep could be your quiet alignment time.
#5: Give yourself grace for the stage you’re in
Everyones situation looks different, so it’s important to recognize where you’re at and what is actually doable for you. Someone in the newborn stage with a baby feeding every few hours won’t be able to implement some of these things as easily as someone with a child sleeping through the night.
Want to stay in the loop for all future Align & Amplify Podcast episodes?!
CLICK HERE to subscribe on Apple Podcasts!
