How to be a Happy Mommy, even if you do not feel like it

If there is one thing that I have learned since becoming a mom roughly 7 1/2 years ago, it is that being a happy mom is not always easy.

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Mom’s out there, I am sure you can relate. Between household chores, work, kids schedules, appointments, and errands, it is so easy to become overwhelmed. Once you hit the point of being overwhelmed, you get to the tired, grouchy, yelling, “I just don’t feel like moming today stage.” Fun stuff for the whole family right?

I will not sit here and tell you that I am the happiest mom in the world. We all have our days. What I will tell you though, is that I have found a few things that have made me a happier mom.

Drink All the Coffee

Coffee in the morning, coffee in the evening, coffee at supper time. Ok, so that is so not how that song goes, and I probably do not drink coffee past 6 pm (most days). Seriously though, coffee is my saving grace most days. With an almost 9-year-old, 3-year-old, and soon-to-be 5-month-old, 8 hours of sleep a night is nothing short of a fairy tale for me. Thus, my children will tell you that mommy’s coffee is important.

Some days, I even treat myself to a special coffee from Starbucks. A venti espresso frappuccino can take my mood from wanting to kill the next person who breathes, to sunshine and rainbows in a matter of 3 sips. Plus, did you know that you can totally order “pup cups” with spoons and feed your child their own cup of Starbucks yummy whipped cream for less than a dollar? It adds to the thrill of your expensive coffee because kids generally do not talk with whipped cream in their mouths.

Maintain a Schedule

Ahhh my schedule. I recently purchased my own day planner and began the journey to organized mommyhood. (You can read more about how I organized my mom life here ). I am here to tell you, that it is so exciting to me to have my whole week written out and know exactly what I am supposed to be doing each day. There is nothing that makes me happier than hearing happy kids instead of whining because mommy forgot tennis camp and we are late.

Plus, when I have everything scheduled out, it is so much easier to squeeze in new, fun activities as they come up. Rather than accidentally double-booking myself and adding to my stress level, I know exactly what I have planned simply by opening my planner. Jealous? You can totally do it too! And I promise, it makes things easier, which in turn, makes you happier!

Find a Hobby

I know what you are saying, “Yeah, because I have time for a hobby Chelsea.” Guess what though? If you want to be happy, you will make time for a hobby. Even if it is only 20 minutes a day, having time to do something that you enjoy can mean the difference between feeling like a housemaid, and feeling like a person! Reading, writing, baking, photography, gardening so many things are out there for you to enjoy, pick one and see what a difference it can make for you!

For me, my hobby became my blog. While I have monetized it to make it more of a job than just a hobby, in it’s early stages it was very much so just for fun. In the more recent months, it has become my godsend that has kept me from going completely insane. Find the hobby that makes you happy, and everyone in your house will see the change in your mood. Mom in a happy mood, means everyone else gets to be in a happy mood too, right?

Take Time for Self-Care

Yeah, now I am going to tell you to take out more time for yourself. Seriously though, are you taking care of yourself? If you are not, then you can just about guarantee that no one else around you is going to be getting that happy, bubbly feeling from you.

Taking time out to have a mom break, shut off the responsibilities, and just enjoy life for a few minutes each day is essential. So go ahead Mommy, leave the kids with Dad and go get your nails done. Better yet, grab your wine, lock the bathroom door, and take a bubble bath. You need this time, do not short yourself by not taking it!

Learn Balance

The last major thing I had to learn on my own journey to being happy, was balance. First off, I wanted my children to be able to do every activity their heart desired. I am here to tell you, that was far from realistic. My 8-year-old tried to run me ragged the first 3 weeks of summer break with every activity she could find. Now, we do things in balance. She lists off everything she wants to do, and we work together to pick 2-3 activities that are reasonable and fit in the schedule. At the end of the day, everyone is happy, and I am not so damn tired!

The second thing I learned about balance, was balancing my own chores. It seems like there is always something for me to do at home, but never enough time to do it all with the kids’ activities. Newsflash, you are running all over God’s green earth for your kids’ activities, they can run all over your house and help you to pick up to earn those activities. No, my towels are not always folded perfectly, but I didn’t have to fold them. The dishes are not in the dishwasher the way I wanted them, but they are clean. It is amazing what my kids will help me to accomplish when I offer a trip to the park as a reward for them! Happy mommy, happy kids.

What is it that you find helps you to be a happy mommy? Any of these things that you are not doing that you totally should be? Let me know below!