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
