Dear moms, whether you work at an office, starting your own business, working as a freelancer or simply staying at home to manage the kids and household, we are all overwhelmed with multitasking and the tremendous amount of nitty gritty work we have to balance day in day out. No matter where we work or what we do, our common denominator as mothers is how tired we are all the time. Ask any mom how she is, you will never get a response other than “I’m tired’. Blessed of course, happy most definitely, but tired.

It seems that no matter how we try to shift our lives, adding a nanny to our daily life, a helper for cleaning, depending on parents and in-laws, daycare and playgrounds, quitting work to rest at home, returning to work to enjoy the peace at the office, nothing helps us lose that feeling of nonstop tiredness. So what can we do to relieve ourselves of this daily fatigue to avoid a breakdown? Below are 3 short steps that don’t take time but once applied help achieve calm.

1. Dedicate one night each week to sleep early. This does wonders to your overall health and wellbeing and your body needs it more than you realize. Of course it is tempting to stay up late to have time with your spouse when the kids sleep, or even time alone to read, watch TV or browse social media, but this time can slowly become midnight and sometimes even 2 AM. Sneak in early sleep, those extra 2 hours a week will help you to recharge.

2. Choose one morning each week to clear your mind. It sounds difficult with hectic schedules, but it is vital for your sanity! If you work at an office, sip on your tea or coffee in total silence before you start working, depends on how flexible your management is, the time can fluctuate between 10 minutes or half an hour. If you are at home, do the same on the balcony or watching TV, but really let go of all the stressful thoughts and forget your dues and errands for that short period of time.

3. Pick one weekend morning to sleep in. Perhaps actual sleep is impossible with small children, but what I mean is take it easy during that morning. Get them set with milk and breakfast and get right back into bed. Your kids can play with each other or with their toys while you close your eyes for a while even while fully alert. The fact that you are still stretched out on the bed and having a slow morning helps you unwind when all your other mornings begin with an alarm clock and panic of making it on time to your daily routine.

Maria Hage-Boutros Najem

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