How to Stay Motivated as a SAHM-Guest Post, Part II

I’m welcoming Mandi back again today for Part Two of her Tips for Mama Motivation! If you didn’t read her post yesterday, make sure you do! And check out her blog for an in-depth post on each of the topics she’s written about below!

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If you didn’t read Part 1 then go do that now. I’ll wait for you! For everyone else, welcome back! Let’s jump right into things.

5. Exercise. (Insert groan here.) I don’t know about you but I get really tired of hearing how important exercise is! However, if I’m going to be honest with these tips then I must include it. I won’t tell you about all of the benefits exercise gives you. You’ve likely heard it a few hundred times already. It is very hard to find time for exercising when you are a stay-at-home mom. A lot of my working mom friends have the luxury of going to the gym before or after work. I, on the other hand, have to get up with my husband’s schedule so that he can be home with our daughter for me to go to the gym. For a long time the only exercise I could get was to walk my neighborhood pushing my daughter in the stroller. You may not be able to get to a gym but you can go for a walk everyday. If it’s too cold or hot outside then use a workout video. (Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred is a killer!) Regardless of what type of exercise you "enjoy" the point is to do something consistently. Exercise makes you feel good and gives you energy. Both of which help you stay motivated to do other things during the day.

6. Get it on with your husband! This is a tip we all don’t mind implementing right? You may be wondering what sex has to do with being a motivated stay-at-home mom. Well, good lovin’ has EVERYTHING to do with it! You may have heard this before but the average man needs to have sex once every couple of days. However, did you know that women need it too? When I go too long without some hot steamy you know what, I get really snippy with my husband and even with my daughter. I get stressed out more easily. I don’t have as much energy and I feel tense. Problems in the bedroom can indicate problems in your marriage. The state of your marriage can greatly impact your motivation as a stay-at-home mom. See how it works? So make a "date" tonight!

7. Unplug for two hours everyday. I love the digital era we live in! It allows me to share my thoughts with the world (blog), connect with long lost friends (Facebook), network with people I don’t know (twitter) and provides a wealth of knowledge at the click of a mouse (Google and Wikipedia). The best part? I can do all of these things from my phone! But if I don’t watch myself I can easily spend all day wasting time on the internet. If you are having a difficult time keeping up with your housework or finding time to spend with your kids (or doing both) then unplug from the world for two hours each day. You will be surprised by how much you can get done. Turn off the computer, turn your phone on silent and unplug the television. For two hours (preferably during your child’s nap time) focus only on getting things done around the house. I promise you will see a huge leap in your productivity!

8. Spend time with your kids. If you are a stay-at-home mom then you are already spending time with your kids right? Not always. There is a difference between being at home with your kids and spending time with them. There will always be work to do around the house and errands to run. Stop for a little bit everyday and play with your kids. Have a tea party, walk to the park, play football in the backyard. You love your kids and your kids love you. Spending time with them will help you remember why you have chosen to stay home. When your kids are grown and gone do you want them to remember how clean the house always was or how much the loved being with you?

9. Get out of the house. Nothing is more depressing than being cooped up in the house for long periods of time. Seeing the sun and breathing fresh air re-charges your motivational batteries. Even more important than simply getting outside is to have time for yourself. Let your husband watch the kids, hire a baby-sitter or send them to grandma’s for a couple of hours. Get out of the house by yourself regularly. Enough with the mom guilt too! Your kids will be fine and you will be a much better mom and homemaker for it!

10. Rely on God. I shared a story on my blog of when I realized I couldn’t be a good enough mom on my own. You can read it here. If we aren’t good enough people on our own then why do we think we can be good enough mothers on our own? If we had the ability to be perfect mothers then we would also have the ability to be perfect humans. Christ came because we aren’t perfect and we can’t ever be perfect by ourselves. The bad news is that no matter how hard you try, you cannot be a good enough mom. The good news is that Christ has come to redeem the human race in all aspects of life… including motherhood. If you belong to Jesus, if you have believed in his work on the cross to save you from your sins and make your righteous by His merit alone, then believe the same as a mom. You can’t do it on your own but God will do it through you when you allow Him to have control.

I don’t know what your views are. All I know is that without God I simply could not do it all. The great thing is that He doesn’t expect me to. I can give you all the advice in the world about being a stay-at-home mom but none of it matters if you aren’t depending on God. Regardless, I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I enjoyed writing it. Being a stay-at-home mom is tough work. Even though you may struggle from time to time, you are making a huge difference in your family!

Please feel free to email me, mandi (at) mandimillerblog (dot) com with any questions and visit my blog My Bloggy Life!

Thank you Courtney for letting me guest post!!