Get up!!! Get up before everyone else in the morning, take a shower, do your make-up, put your hair in a no-fuss bun- if it's long enough, spritz some perfume and dress yourself comfortably but nice. (If you have a baby, or two, who don't conform to sleep schedules yet, bring them into the bathroom with you and buckle them safely in their bouncy) When all is done and said, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself how important you are, and how beautiful you are. You are a mother, a teacher, a student, a counselor, a nurse, and most importantly, you have the biggest job in the world- shaping small minds and hearts.
Sing a song- even if your singing sucks! I find that in moments of great stress, singing some silly song helps elevate my mood.
Organize and simplify. A cleaner home is a happier home. But don't take on too much at once. Overwhelming yourself is counter-productive.
Take a walk. If weather doesn't permit, put on some upbeat music and do a little dance. It's good for your heart.
Take a class. And if getting out of the house isn't an option, many colleges offer classes online. About.com has many free online classes that can teach you useable skills. Just because you aren't working doesn't mean you should stop learning. Most of us can't stay home forever, so make yourself marketable for when the time comes.
Play! Your kids need to play. It helps them learn. Get down to their level and play with them. See the world through their eyes.
Take responsibility for your life. The blame game never helped anyone. Accept who you are, acknowledge your short-comings(we all have them), admit to your mistakes, and say you're sorry. Then find ways to cope with the things about yourself that you don't like. Once you accept a certain level of control over who you are, you are less apt to be fated by your own short-comings. Don't be your worst enemy.
Be nice. Even if you don't pride yourself in being a nice person, it helps to pretend. Make yourself smile, especially in public, and hug the ones you love. Look at it as a kind of behavioral modification therapy. Our external affects our internal more than we realize.
Get some rest. Give yourself a bed time, and try to stick with it. It's a given that better sleep helps regulate our emotional health.
Make friends. By nature we are social beings. A healthy social network is just that- healthy.
Find a higher power. Find your God. Even if it means assigning the role to some higher level of consciousness, it helps to have something to cling to/pray to.
Last but not least, take time-out for yourself. Put the little ones down for quiet time, run a bath, light a candle, play some relaxing music, or run the bathroom fan (white noise is relaxing), turn off the light, and relax...but DO NOT fall asleep.
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Keep a positive attitude even if you have been awakened 43 times throughout the night by a sick two year old, and your 4 year old decided to write on the walls with permanent marker. Remain positive and know that these days will fly by and someday you will miss these times.
Find something you love to do and do it. It may take you longer to do it because you have young children, but you will still enjoy it. I have discovered how much I love baking, cooking, gardening, writing, etc. These are all things I can actually do with my kids in toe. If you have to let the housework go, that's okay. It will still be there tomorrow.
Join a mom's group. This is so important. This will keep you connected with mom's of all ages that are going through the same things that you are. If you are feeling disconnected with friends that do not have children, this will be a perfect way to make new, lasting friendships, and your children will make friends at these groups too. You can find local groups on line or just by word of mouth, and many of them provide child care.
Remember that you are a valuable person and that you are doing the hardest work on earth. If you are feeling resentment about it, take a look at your children and know that they are worth you being home and being there for them whenever they need you, and by the way, they DO need you! Someday, probably not today, but someday, they will thank you for it!
