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How to find the right balance as a mum

Posted on June 12 2017

How to find the right balance as a mum
Do you sometimes find it hard being a mum and forget who you are? Being a mum can be hard work and demanding. We all have our low days, experience feelings of guilt and strive to be that ‘perfect’ mum. At times, you may feel like you have no support and it can feel a lonely place. You want to please everyone, so how do you get the right balance?
Following on from having my 2 children, it took a while to find that happy balance. I have learnt over the years that I will never be a super-mum, but know balance is key to leading a healthy lifestyle. Whether you work or not it can seem almost impossible to make time for yourself !
Mum-and-kids
Fitness is my ‘me-time’ a break from the outside world, a place I can reflect on my life with no interruptions. No matter how tired I feel, once I have worked out it puts me in such a good mood. I workout 4-5 times a week because I enjoy it and want to. It makes me feel happy and confident which is important to me being a mum. I like to mix it up with running, cycling, circuit classes and weight training; a lot of it depends on how I feel on the day. I do encourage my children to be active too and often go on bike rides or play soccer and basketball with them. Find something you will enjoy and stick too. You don’t need a fancy gym membership either, working out from home is still as effective. Even if it’s a 10 minutes workout, it is better than nothing.
mum-that-excercise
Nutrition is also a  key, I try to eat the best that I can. I keep it simple and it doesn’t cost the earth. Diets aren’t sustainable and are restrictive, there are no quick fixes. I am not a big fan of cooking but I try to do simple healthy meals for my family. By embracing whole foods and eating good amounts of healthy proteins and fats. I also believe you should never deprive yourself of the foods you enjoy, but like anything, eat in moderation! Decide what makes you feel good and works for you. I still enjoy my take aways, glass of wine and sweet treats and have these as a treat. I find this more enjoyable without feeling guilty. Life is for living!
Also a key for my happiness is spending time with my loved ones, I really enjoy spending the weekend with my kids and husband, doing beach trips, hikes and spending time in nature. I really look forward to the weekend when the 4 of us can just spend quality time together without worrying about any housework! I will just try to do all the house work in a Monday morning to be able to enjoy the rest of the week!
I also LOVE spending time with my friends, we can all relate in being mums and how challenging yet rewarding it can be at times, we laugh together, the kids can play together and we all enjoy each other’s company.
I guess there is not a key to happiness but as a mum we can try to find that balance into being a good mother but also a happy human, doing things that we love and make us a better person, try to make time for yourself to be fit and well, the return benefits will be worthwhile. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle it keeps me focused in life, gives me the energy to look after my family and be a positive example to them. It’s not selfish to make yourself a priority, yet it does need to come from self love which does not make you a bad person. I love the fact that my children know fitness plays a big part of my life. Don’t feel guilty for looking after you, it’s the only place you have to live in. Give yourself the time to be a mum and a woman; you will feel so much better about yourself.
love,
Daniela
 

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