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When I first left the corporate world, I was so excited to stay at home and just take care of my family. After working for 14 straight years, I was ready to leave the rat race and be with my husband and kids at home.
I first transitioned to being a work-from-home-mom as a social media manager and a freelance writer. Later on, I realized that I was just as busy, if not more, as I was when I was still working. What with the never ending house chores and everything, I felt like I needed to unload a little bit more so I dropped my social media manager job.
Today, I still do some freelance writing and content creation work but a big chunk of my time is now dedicated to taking care of my family.
Unfortunately, you can still get burnout at home. Being a SAHM doesn’t mean we have all the time in the world to do what we want. As a matter of fact, we often forget to take care of our own selves which leads to burnout.
Some days you just want to scream and crawl under the bed. Ha!
To avoid getting to that point, I have realized that having little pockets of me-time is extremely important. Remember that we can’t fill from an empty cup.
Because I know that I am not alone in this dilemma, I am sharing my favorite ways to distress and beat SAHM boredom. I hope these will help you too!
Carve out some self-pampering time.
I know we’re all busy with laundry, cooking, taking care of the husband and kids, but it is important to remember that we need to take care of ourselves first so we can better take care of the ones we love.
This can be in the form of a warm bath, a long shower, an hour of uninterrupted reading time, or even enjoy a cup of coffee. If this is hard to do especially when you have small kids, enlist your partner’s help or perhaps call a friend (or your mom) to watch the kids for an hour or so so you can have some time to yourself.
Try a new hobby.
Routine can sometimes make us feel boxed in. Some structure and proper scheduling of tasks is great but if you leave no room to breathe, burnout is sure to follow.
Some of the things that help me take my mind off house work and family problems are embroidery and gardening. These two have definitely saved my sanity!
Currently, I have over 100 houseplants. Never mind that some of them are dying. LOL I enjoy taking care of them when I’m not taking care of my kids.
I do embroidery when I’m bored and sell them on Facebook. I don’t do this lot, just when I need to change to switch to a slower pace. It gives me time to think, and I enjoy the cute stuff that I come up with. Helps me earn a few bucks too!
Take advantage of modern technology
When the kids are in bed, you can bet that I’m online watching videos. Never mind that I mostly watch cleaning hacks and cooking videos. What’s important is that I get a few minutes of each day doing something that does not have to be productive.
Another thing that I like to do is sit in front of the computer and play Solitaire. You can judge me if you want but I enjoy simple mind games. I played a lot of Solitaire games on my computer when I was in college (when my mom thought I was working on my thesis LOL). It helps take my mind off things for a few minutes (or an hour!).
And if you’re anything like me, you never back out from a Klondike challenge. LOL
Meet with friends regularly!
It does not have to be a fancy dinner or a party, an hour of chitchat over coffee does wonders. And you don’t even have to talk about house chores or kids! I do not enjoy going out of the house but what I’ve discovered is that a change of scenery even once or twice a month is important. Go shopping with them, have lunch, or even go to the movies. Being a SAHM can be very lonely sometimes. So take the time to have some fun with friends once in a while.
Lastly, do not forget that being a SAHM is one of the most important work that a mother can do. It’s never an easy job. I think it is one of the most selfless jobs in the world so take pride in that. Just don’t forget to take care of yourself too.
xoxo
Jhanis
A family lifestyle blogger who left her corporate job in Cebu for a slower life in Iligan City, Philippines. Healthline – Best Mom Blogs 2017, ESCooped – Cebu’s Top Family Blogger 2016, Top 10 Blogs Voice Boks Comedy Edition, Bloggys 2015 – Finalist, Family and Relationships Category, featured on BlogHer.com and HumorWriters.org. Jhanis also works as a Freelance Writer/Content Creator and manages a small farm house decor business when she’s not taking naps.