Mama needs a cup of Strength

Mama needs a cup of strength. This one goes out to my tired, exhausted Mamas out there on your toughest day, I’m writing this as a big sister or an extremely honest friend whom you love. In all honesty whichever person you are willing to hear it from let me stand in place of them. 

Today was an extremely rough day for me as a stay at home mama, yesterday was pretty tough too. How was your day? If you are reading this maybe your day was tough too. Well if that’s the case I’m giving you a virtual hug because days like these have me questioning myself if I’m good enough, if I’m a good mother, and honestly if I’m doing something wrong.

The deal is, I could tell you all the chaotic details of my morning and the day before but I won’t. But I will tell you some things that help me to get through tough, rough and exhausting days like this. I’ll start off by saying, I am a believing woman, a praying woman and a Bible reading woman but yesterday I was a cursing woman (well atleast in my head) haha! So when I share these things that help me through the days I don’t have anything left in me, I hope you can understand my heart and where I’m coming from.

1.) Worship 

One thing I will never take for granted is my morning worship, it’s a time where I feel my mornings are the slowest. My kids are typically most calm and relaxed during this time, I find that they also have started to sing worship throughout the day. Not only has worship music helped me to cover my home in HIS presence, but it has also helped set the atmosphere of my home. During my toughest days where it seems like nothing went right; I find that turning worship on to get me back to center helps alleviate the anxiousness or overwhelming feelings I’m having. But I’ll share something sweet with you! In the midst of my frustration I hear my oldest singing “I Trust in God my Savior, He will never Fail, He will never fail …”. Worship will always bring me back to center and calm my soul but hearing my daughter singing worship, reminded me that I am right where I’m meant to be.

2.) Affirmations 

I’ve been on this personal growth journey for the past few months starting from the inside out and I’ve been listening to daily affirmations each morning to retrain my mind to think positive, to not linger in doubt because of what I see before my eyes. Affirmations remind and help me to speak life over myself, my future and who I want to be, even if I don’t feel I’m there yet. Affirmations in motherhood can help remind you that in tough times you don’t have to be angry you can be calm. Simple affirmations are: “I am stronger than my hardest day”, “I remain calm in situations that are out of my control” , “I create an atmosphere of peace”. Simple things like this can help you to speak yourself into a place you don’t currently feel you are. I personally have felt a lot of mindset shifts and more positivity coming from me since speaking life-giving affirmations over myself daily. 

3.) Deep Breaths

Something you’ll hear my oldest say often is, “Can I take a deep breath?”. We are a deep breathing home, funny thing is it started when I was pregnant with my first baby. My husband would tell me not to feel emotional about something and to take a deep breath while he hugged me. Is there ever a right time to tell a woman to take a deep breath? Absolutely not! I must say though, I felt a sense of relief after those breaths and it was something I started sharing with my kids when they found themselves in moments of high emotion that was negatively affecting them. I’ve found for them and myself that it brought a sense of calm to the whole situation and helped see whatever was going on for face value or atleast a more understanding view.

4.) A moment alone

Sometimes you have to step away to have a perspective shift. If you have someone available to help watch your kids for even 15 min to give you a moment of fresh air, ask them. Today when I found myself overwhelmed, I called my husband and calmly told him “When you get home this evening, I will need to step out for sometime to myself for a little”. I was also going to be picking up groceries but my husband knew without me spewing my soul out that today has been pretty rough. As a stay at home mom of two toddlers, some days are a smooth ride, other days are a rollercoaster. If a helping hand isn’t available, I give myself some time by putting on some guilt-free screen time shows for my littles. That gives me a minute to use the bathroom on my own in peace or just sit at the table (where I can see them) and enjoy a cup of tea in my “cup of strength” cup, uninterrupted. But a little word of advice my mother gave me, “give yourself one evening a week to have sometime to yourself”, to have someone else care for the kids to have a moment to for think, reflect or relax. I’ve neglected to do this but will begin implementing it into the schedule ASAP!  

5.) Prayer

Last but not least. Prayer changes everything Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. I’ll be the first one to admit that sometimes I don’t know what to pray and sometimes I’m just so distraught I don’t want to pray but prayer truly does change things. If it doesn’t change those you are praying for, it will most definitely change you and your view of them. Sometimes I pray for my children to be obedient to me and respect me, then God speaks to me and reminds me that I am the exact same way. This perspective helps me to adjust and extend grace where I was once denying it. I heard this once and I have to remind myself often, “the person who doesn’t extend grace to themselves has trouble extending grace to others”. So I say to you, give yourself grace and you’ll show that grace to those you love, especially your littles!

With Love,

xx Classically Faith