Westchester NY Moms
  • About Us
  • Calendar
  • Blog
    • Blog Topics
  • Things To Do
    • Indoor Fun
    • Outdoor Fun
    • Camp
  • Love Local
    • Be Prepared
    • Give Back
    • The Towns of Westchester
  • Resources
    • Education
    • Parenting
    • Music
    • Fitness & Health
    • Shopping
    • Beauty & Fashion
  • Contact Us

Blog

The Overworked Mom’s ABCs of Caring for Herself

6/3/2021

 
Picture
Moms have had a rough year. In general, moms’ mental health has experienced declines and can be considered in crisis. Moms who work for pay outside the home may have endured additional mental health symptoms of anxiety and depression due to stress from disruptions in childcare and intense pressure to be both the ideal worker and the ideal mom. So what do you do if you feel overworked, wherever and however you work? Try to work on taking care of yourself. 
 
I firmly believe that moms can’t take care of others if they are not taking care of themselves. If you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, try to engage in the following strategies to improve your mindset little by little. With time and practice, it could become as easy as A-B-C!

 
Adjust Your Perspective

Strive to be kind to yourself and give yourself grace. With a compassionate-focused therapy approach, you can overcome your self-critical tendencies by highlighting the positives, the same way you likely would for a friend who came to you for guidance. It’s also helpful to accept any negative feelings, which are natural. Being mindful of your emotions in the present moment and acknowledging that it is just a moment – meaning, temporary – is an extremely effective way to create calm. A conscious shift in perspective can change a distorted thought (“I’m a bad mom for not being able to put my kids to bed because I have to work instead”) to a to a rational one (“I have a lot of work to get through tonight and I need time to focus. I am feeling sad right now because I won’t get to tuck in my kids, but I know they are safe and that they love me. I will feel relief as soon as tomorrow when this project is complete, and then I’ll be able to really focus on family time.”).
 

Be an Advocate for Yourself

The ability to advocate for yourself, whether at work, home, or otherwise, is integral to achieving your goals. Try speaking honestly and directly with your partner and family’s inner circle about your mental load and what would be valuable to alleviate it (if applicable, for example, perhaps the kids’ dad can handle their doctors’ appointments and school meetings). In the corporate world, many companies and industries are still behind when it comes to their family-friendly policies; they may simply need a request for change to be made, and who better to make a request that would improve your life than you? To learn more about how to successfully advocate for better workplace policies and find support while doing so, please join me on June 17, 2021 in Scarsdale at a free happy hour & shopping networking event; optional contributions will be donated to a nonprofit committed to accelerating equity for working moms of color.

 
Connect with Your Community
​

After all these months of isolation due to literal social distancing, it’s common to feel lonely and like your network is in shambles. But it is more crucial than ever to foster relationships and build your village. Try going for a walk or running an errand with a friend. Catch up with a long-distance relative on the phone while driving or cleaning. Rely on a trusted neighbor to watch your kids while you handle a meeting or other things on your to-do list, and you can return the favor at a later date. And if you’re feeling a bit lost, perhaps because of a pandemic-related move to a new town or other life transition, look for opportunities with others who share your interests or current life stage. It’s been meaningful to see how several moms in the parent groups I facilitate, who were in quarantine for most of their pregnancies, appreciate the opportunity to share with others who can relate to their daily struggles while offering ideas and encouragement. Everyone requires various forms of assistance at different times for different reasons. It is so important to get the support you need!
 
 
Written by Lauren A. Tetenbaum: a social worker, lawyer, professional coach, and Westchester Mom whose mission is to empower and support women, including working and new moms. To learn more about her clinical therapy and consulting services, please email Lauren@LATCounseling.com.

More Articles You May Enjoy

Comments are closed.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    Categories

    All
    About Us
    Art
    Beauty & Fashion
    Business
    Camp
    Career
    Community
    Creativity
    Education
    Fitness & Health
    Food
    Give Back
    Hea
    Home
    Indo
    Indoor Fun
    Mommy & Me
    Music
    Outdoor Fun
    Pare
    Parenting
    Real Estate
    Shopping
    Things To Do
    Virtual

Connect With Us
Home
About
© 2022-2023  Westchester NY Moms & Strategic Joy Communications LLC. This website includes paid advertising and endorsements.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Clotee Pridgen Allochuku, Kofi_MT, mrsdkrebs, jsax2015, Jeff Sandquist, Israel_photo_gallery, gabrielsaldana, Thanks for over 2 million views!!, Castles, Capes & Clones, Ted Drake, Kurt Magoon, CS_McMahon, chrismetcalfTV, Soren Wolf, Baker County Tourism, The Chapman Cultural Center, John Drake Flickr, photoverulam, 7263255, IQRemix, Art4TheGlryOfGod, Joe Mabel, Mike Miley, ell brown, tedeytan, Rob.Bertholf, flickingerbrad, MoToMo, Larry Lamsa, DieselDemon, Bobolink, Richard Ricciardi, gabrielsaldana, Montgomery County Planning Commission, beaucon, Jorick77, Still Vision, Vironevaeh, RLHyde, wuestenigel, mliu92, jennisweat, Larry1732, Michael Bentley, USDAgov, Tim Evanson, Karolina Kabat, deejayqueue, Strelka Institute photo, JohnSeb, Base Camp Baker, Dance Photographer - Brendan Lally, Fibonacci Blue, Larry1732, daryl_mitchell, Miroslav Vajdić, Peter O'Connor aka anemoneprojectors, susivinh, Larry1732, dancingnomad3, sarahstierch, Base Camp Baker, A J Thackway, hoyasmeg, Salvation Army USA West, quinn.anya, CapCase, Kirt Edblom
  • About Us
  • Calendar
  • Blog
    • Blog Topics
  • Things To Do
    • Indoor Fun
    • Outdoor Fun
    • Camp
  • Love Local
    • Be Prepared
    • Give Back
    • The Towns of Westchester
  • Resources
    • Education
    • Parenting
    • Music
    • Fitness & Health
    • Shopping
    • Beauty & Fashion
  • Contact Us