Being a working mom isn’t easy. Being responsible for others can get tiring and at times it can be very overwhelming. I’m a single mom of three, I have a 17-year-old son, an 8-year-old daughter and a 2-year-old son and while I wouldn’t change being a Mommy for anything in the world, there are days (a whole bunch of days) that I am just downright exhausted. It is during those times of exhaustion that I find myself getting overwhelmed with the Mom life. There are days that I don’t want to be Dr. Keitiaunna or even Mommy, I just want to be plan ole Keitiaunna. I don’t want to remind anyone to do their chores, help with homework, drive anyone to practice or change a poopy diaper. I just want to sit and do absolutely nothing.
Have you ever felt that way?
Have you ever felt guilty for feeling that way?
I know I have! When I’m sitting down scrolling through Facebook or watching TV instead or folding clothes, in the back of my head, I’m thinking
about all of the mom stuff that I could or should be doing instead of relaxing.
But you know what I’ve come to realize? I am actually a better person and a better mom when I get my “me” time. I have to remind myself that it is important to take care of myself and that if I take the time to take care of me, I will be in a better position mentally, physically and emotionally to take care of my children. Recently I came across a scripture that I’ve read a thousand times before, Luke 6:45. This particular scripture reminds us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. I decided to read the Message translation because I love how that translation just makes things plain. When my Bible app loaded, it placed me at verse 43 (which I hadn’t read before). “You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree.”
This scripture hit me like a ton of bricks! I realized that if I don’t take the time to take care of myself, I will become rotten and my apples (my children, my productivity at work, my life in general) will also be rotten. If I want to display healthy fruit, then I have to make sure that my tree is healthy which means that I HAVE to take care of myself!
One of the ways that I work to maintain a healthy tree is by using affirmations. An affirmation is something that provides emotional support or encouragement. I firmly believe that death and life are in the power of our tongue (Proverbs 18:21) and that by changing the words that we say, we can change our lives.
Here’s the cool thing about affirmations, there are no rules about how to use them, you can make them work just for you! You can hang them on your bathroom mirror (I’ve even seen ladies write them on their mirror in lipstick), you can hang them in your car or on your desk at work. I actually have an affirmation that pops up on my phone every day at 9am.
What things do you need to be reminded of? Maybe you need a reminder that you don’t have to be superwoman and that it’s ok for you to ask for help. Or maybe you are like me and you need a reminder that it is 100% ok for you to take some time for yourself.
Listed below are 15 affirmations for working moms. Use these to encourage yourself or share them with a friend that needs some encouragement. Hang them on your mirror, or pick one or two to put in your phone. Regardless of what you choose, just know that God’s got you and while life as a working mom can get hard and overwhelming, YOU CAN DO IT!!
- I’ve got this!
- I’m not a quitter!
- It’s OK to take a break.
- I am a blessing to my family!
- I am enough!
- I will create positive lifelong memories with my family.
- Taking care of me IS taking care of them!
- Today is a new day!
- I will not let fear stop me!
- My dreams are important; therefore, I WILL reach them!
- My peace and sanity are important!
- I won’t compare myself to anyone else!
- What God has for me is for me!
- I don’t need to be a superwoman, it’s ok to ask for help!
- Lord, I trust You!
