Empowering Your Mind as a Busy Mom (Part 3)
Hey there! This post is part of a three-part series - if you haven’t read the first two posts, I encourage you to jump back and read those here before diving into this one.
The One Thing Busy Moms May Be Missing (Self-Awareness Series Pt. 1)
How to Be a Mindful Motivated Mom (Self-Awareness Series Pt. 2)
Let’s jump in!
Once you start being self-awareness - you might be thinking, “This is awful; now I’m just seeing all the flaws in myself and my behaviors”
I’ll admit, it’s how I felt at first, too.
Who wants to be aware of everything they’ve done wrong or could’ve done better?
Our gut reaction is to sweep that stuff under the rug because who has time for self-improvement when you’re busy being someone’s 24/7 mom?
But let’s pause and consider this...What if, instead, you looked at this as an opportunity?
Through my own journey of self-awareness, there have been THREE keys ways it has helped me feel empowered. In this post, I’ll give you a brief look into each of these:
Self-awareness gives you the power to know yourself deeply
Self-awareness empowers you to PAUSE
Self-awareness empowers you to grow and learn
1. Self-awareness gives you the power to know yourself deeply.
Do you know what stinks?
Waiting in long lines with an impatient toddler. Catching every germ possible from your kid’s daycare. Not having the support you need to show up fully?
Okay, maybe that list is too long, but do you know what stinks more than all of those combined?
Spending an entire hour, day, or year doing something that doesn’t bring you joy.
Maybe you didn’t realize it until you were out of that season.
Maybe you didn’t even know you had a choice.
Maybe you’re doing it because society, your family, or a friend is telling you that is what you’re supposed to do.
I want you to know that is so heartbreaking and that there is another way. There’s a way to know yourself and create a life that brings you joy. It starts with self-awareness.
Self-awareness empowers us to know ourselves deeply by asking questions like these:
Do you know what brings you joy?
Do you know what depletes you?
Do you know what energizes you?
These could be literal questions you answer in a journal or simple reminders to guide your everyday.
Asking yourself these questions will allow you to plan your days according to them.
Asking yourself these questions will reveal what parts of your life may not align with your best self.
And then you can keep digging a little deeper with more questions:
Do you know your values?
Do you know your triggers?
Do you know your strengths and, likewise, your weaknesses?
Imagine creating a life where you make decisions based on your deepest-held values and beliefs.
Self-awareness will allow you to know when you’re overworked, overstimulated, need a break, or are burnt out…
It is the power to know these things before they take you to rock bottom
Recognizing this means you can pause and realign, pause and rest.
It is articulating your emotions and values with confidence and clarity.
2. Self-awareness gives you the power of a pause.
Imagine this:
Before reacting, you pause subconsciously and evaluate the situation.
This pause is self-awareness at its core.
It’s stepping back and out of ourselves and looking at the situation. It is being objective to the moment and to ourselves.
I have given myself the tools to react to stressful situations.
The more I practice them, the more they become a part of who I am.
I practice not absorbing the negative energy of people around me.
I practice taking a deep breath when someone upsets me.
I ask myself why something is happening - why do I want to react this way?
What is happening deeper inside me, and how can I nurture that and feel better?
Self-awareness opens a whole new set of experiences that you were missing before.
When you slow down, you will see something magical.
You will see those moments that you were missing.
They were right there in front of you all along, but the busy pace of life overwhelmed you.
The worry and emotions blinded you from capturing the moment.
The wonder in a child’s eyes
The beauty of the fall leaves
The awe-struck vista on the trail
When you’re able to start pausing and noticing these things, you will find it much easier to find joy in the small moments of your day.
3. Self-awareness empowers you to grow and learn
I have less regret in making decisions based on my values
I feel comfortable saying no because I have the self-awareness to know what a similar experience did to me in the past.
I have solid ground to stand on, which was only found by doing the work of self-awareness.
It was only through questioning my actions, beliefs, and even my core values that I was taught generationally that I was able to start to question them and create my own. I was able to break the chain.
When I decide or react, I can look to these values and have solid ground.
And sometimes, I’ll make mistakes, but self-awareness has taught me where these mistakes are coming from and gives me the pause to do better next time.
Self-awareness gives me a choice.
It gives me the option to pick plan b or evaluate other options. It gives me the option to say, hey, this sucks; what can I do to make myself feel better?
It has given me the ability to question everything.
Self-awareness can give you the ability to know:
What brings you joy?
What makes you feel good?
What makes you feel bad?
Do you need some rest?
Knowing yourself is the biggest gift you can give yourself in this life. After all, no one else can tell you who you are deep in your soul.
To recap, self-awareness has incredible potential to empower you, even as a busy mom.
It can give you the power to know yourself deeply, the ability to pause and the ability to learn and grow.
Be gentle with yourself, this isn’t an overnight process, but it has the potential to have a ripple effect on your whole life.
If you’re enjoying this content, jump over to Instagram DM’s and let me know, what other ways does self-awareness empower you? What did I miss?
Stay healthy, ambitious, and grounded, mama.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read my blog. Keep your eye out for a new community coming soon!
