Working Moms everywhere would say that they would like more time so they could feel less stress. In reality they know they can’t find a 25th hour so their focus is on time management. If they used their time differently, more could be accomplished thus stress would diminish. So, in trying to reduce stress we believe we know the answer (find more time) yet struggle managing something that is finite.
Here’s what I propose: Manage your Mommy Energy
What is Mommy Energy?
When one becomes a mother I believe we are blessed with a precious energy source. Like Mother’s Intuition, every mother is rewarded with Mommy Energy. This gives us the strength and endurance to get everything we need to get done, done. Some of the miracles we are able to perform are staying up late to work on a proposal, do a load of laundry, rock a crying child back to sleep, get enough sleep ourselves, get everyone out the door in the a.m., and then rock it at work. It’s miraculous, isn’t it?
Mommy Energy is the answer when someone says, “I don’t know how you do it all!” You do it “all” or try to do it “all” because you have this driving energy source pushing (or pulling) you forward.
You use Mommy Energy to take care of those you love like your family, your team at work, or your customers. Yes, Mommy Energy is used at work, too! The reason why is because Mommy Energy is backed up by L-O-V-E. Love makes the world go round, right? Leaving my Mommy Energy or my personal life “at the door” when I enter the workplace hurts me.
So the BIG question is, what could happen if you were able to harness your Mommy Energy and do what you wanted? Right now you use it for taking care of others. If you focused on managing this precious energy source by working on your energy level, imagine how much you would accomplish! Imagine how happy you’d feel!
How to Manage your Mommy Energy
Start by creating positive rituals that you know will ignite your Mommy Energy.
To help you get started here are a few tips that have worked for me:
1. Starting the day an hour before everyone else with a cup of coffee and (four) notebooks.
I love to write and starting the day off using a strength of mine empowers me. I have a personal journal, a writing (used for my blogs) journal, my day planner, and my Desire Map Day Planner from Danielle LaPorte (love aiming to feel a core desire feeling instead of a metric goal!). The morning is when I’m most creative and when the house is most quiet. If I sleep through my alarm, my day just feels different and not as energized.
2. Deep Breathing.
It took some practice to remember to breath deep when I was caught up in a negative emotional state like anger or sadness. Breathing deeply is my escape plan back to reality.
3. Work on Emotional Intelligence.
When I am not using my Mommy Energy on negative emotions I am more accomplished. In order to stay positive I consistently check in on my emotional state. “Hey Liz, how are you feeling?” Then I do the most IMPORTANT thing! I answer the question. I don’t sweep things under the rug because I'm busy or allow something to distract me. Naming the emotion helps me manage it. This is the first step in making brave choices about my life and my career.
By Elizabeth McGrory
Working Moms Expert
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