Have you been struggling to get your mojo back recently?
Do you ever reminisce about the good old days, where you were so energetic and enthusiastic? A time when you could achieve just about anything in a short period of time?
Jenny (not real name), 31, used to be very efficient, with clear goals to work towards. However, everything changed after she had her adorable daughter.
“All of a sudden, everything I did start to revolve around her. Slowly but surely, I started to feel less efficient than I used to be.”
“My days were filled with kiddy activities and I lost my identity. Instead of high-tea at posh hotels with the girls, I was stuck at play dates which left me very drained and empty inside.”
Although Jenny loved her daughter to bits, spending the entire day taking care of her needs was just overwhelming.
If this resonates with you, then you need to make small little changes to regain your confidence and enthusiasm, to thrive in any area of your life.
Here’s how you can get your mojo back and bounce back as a high-performing working mother!
3 Simple Steps To Get Your Mojo Back
#1: Seek consistent support and help
As a working mum, we are always juggling career, children’s needs, and daunting housework.
While feeling fatigued and exhausted, we should never take up all the responsibilities. Unfortunately, due to the constant guilt of not being 100% available for our children, we overcompensate.
As a result, we take excessive measures in attempting to correct or make amends for being absent.
Instead of guilt-tripping yourself, be open about your struggles with someone reliable in your family or social circle.
Talk to your spouse about your current inner struggle in juggling both career and family life.
Ask for understanding and emotional support from time to time.
Discuss with other working mothers on ways to balance work and family.
Learn from their past experiences and take their suggestions on how you can be both a better mother and an efficient working individual.
Ask parents or in-laws for help to look after the children occasionally, especially when you have deadlines and projects to deal with.
Get support and assistance from colleagues to complete tasks at hand and thrive together as a team.
One thing for sure; you will never get labelled as an irresponsible mother if you ask for help.
To know more about seeking for help, here’s a true confession from a successful working mother.
#2: Determine what drains and energises you
Going through a hectic day will surely drain us down, but can you imagine repeating the same hectic routine over and over again?
You can never expect to be energised and enthusiastic again if you do not make changes in your daily routine.
Now, it is time for you to look into every activity that consumes your day and determine whether each one drains, energises or makes no difference to your energy level.
Then, look into the activities that are draining you. Ask yourself,
Are these activities time-wasters with no meaningful return?
If so, let go of these energy stealers and direct your energy into more purposeful tasks. What if an activity drains you but you still need to get it done? You either delegate the tasks or set aside a minimal amount of time on the same day or week to complete these tasks.
You can then move on to those which energise you. Block out time for activities that give you more energy in return. Schedule these activities in your calendar so that you gain fulfilment to thrive in your personal and career life.
More importantly, be certain with your life priorities so that you can allocate your time wisely for your career, family and yourself. Set your working hours and be determined to complete your work within the time period.
Be guilt-free about having family time and block out any distraction so that your spouse and children have your undivided attention. Allocate self-care time to enjoy activities that rejuvenate you for the challenges ahead.
With this, you will be able to occupy your time mostly with what’s important to you, not what’s urgent.
#3: Never compare with others nor judge yourself
Nowadays, what truly kills our enthusiasm and confidence is comparison. Comparison has never been so easy, especially with social media.
In between tasks, you jump into Facebook several times to try to keep up with your friends’ lives.
While scrolling through the news feed, you just can’t help resenting how successful Claire (not real name) is while having two children – why can’t you be equally successful?
Your friend Felicia (not real name) is always posting about how much she has achieved lately – why don’t you ever feel such fulfilment?
Amanda’s (not real name) kids always seem so happy and obedient – why are your kids so hard to handle?
If you constantly put yourself in this comparison loop, you are surely further away than you think from getting your mojo back.
Instead of focusing on how you can be a better version of yourself, you are spending time whining and complaining about how life is unfair to you.
Stop comparing at all cost! If you really want to compare, compare with yourself!
Constantly ask yourself how you can be better today as compared to your previous self, and how far you are from your future ideal self. While moving towards your ideal self, you can push yourself harder without judging yourself.
If you are having certain bad days, it’s fine. Maybe your body is telling you that you need some rest or perhaps the direction that you are moving towards currently does not correlate with your goal.
Never blame yourself whenever you are having an unproductive day. Instead, take the time to unwind, do some stretching and reflect on how you can do better the next day.
As long as you persist and focus on your effort, your peak performance will knock on your door when you least expect it.
Get Your Mojo Back And Enjoy Life
As working mothers, we have been through tremendous transitions in our lives to provide the best for our families. This doesn’t mean that we have to compromise our careers for our families.
Find out more on how Anabelle Co-Martinent, La Juiceria Founder sustains the balance between her career and her family life.
Practise good self-care and sustain a positive mindset driven by your personal goals. With this, you will not be easily triggered by the circumstances and events that constantly bring you down.
Be a high flyer in mind and you will be a high flyer in real life too!