Finding Balance in Chaos

Finding Balance in Chaos!

You’ve heard about balance right? Where is the manual to finding balance? What is the secret? I have a love hate relationship with balance and when I think I have found it, I get a dose overwhelm, stretched too thin and saying yes to too many things when I should be saying no. Sound familiar? 411 – I don’t think balance exists.

I have 3 beautiful children who I love endlessly. “Kids, I love you but you are so much work!” I give it all to them, endless love, care and support and some days are amazing and others are a challenge. If you don’t feel crazy at least once a day when raising kids, what’s your secret? Having a full time job is a breeze compared to raising children. Lunch and coffee breaks are to be cherished.

Starting my Family

I had 3 kids under the age of 4. When I look back, I don’t know how I survived because none of them slept through the night and most of the time I felt crazy, run down, exhausted and wondering how I would ever get them to sleep through the night.

My first child was 18 months before he decided to let me sleep through the night. By that time, I was pregnant with my second so you can forget the good night sleep because you feel like an elephant rolling over to find a comfortable position.

Along came baby number two. Another dose of sleep deprivation, needy children, nursing, groceries, laundry, work, entertaining a toddler and caring for a newborn times two. I was pregnant and nursing for 6 years of my life. Did I mention I started my own business after my second? Balance! Where are you?

Out Numbered Good-Bye Balance!

My second slept through the night at 10 months, still nursing and time for another. With a third under the way people said “it’s easy once you’ve had two”. Those people are crazy!

Do the math, two parents, three kids under four, really? Toddler number 1 is throwing a fit, toddler number two is climbing the kitchen table and baby number 3 is crying because she needs to be fed, changed and picked up. Balance has left the building!

Most days and nights felt like a live Ping-Pong match, head spinning, no sleep, nursing around the clock, hormones raging, raising two toddlers, and a newborn. Balance? I just might punch balance in the face.

Creating Balance, Really?

We are all searching for it but balance looks different from person to person and it’s what you make it. Moms, don’t compare yourself to others. We are all trying to figure it out. Most people try and make everything look great on the front end but the back end is a disaster and so are they.

Balance is bogus: You have to create exactly what balance means to you. Here are my survival tips on how I have managed to stay sane and “balanced” over the last 12 years of raising 3 children, quitting my full time corporate job, starting a brand new business, being a CEO, SEO, a Boss, the maid, chauffeur, the General of my household and everything else in my business while holding together a marriage and not losing myself in between.

My rules are YOU Health, YOU Fit and YOU Be!

Warning: If these tips are followed, you will appear happy and less frazzled and every Mom will want to know your secret.

YOU Health Balance!

YOU must find a hiding spot in the house where nobody can find you and breathe! I love my walk in closet!
YOU must find a support system of other Moms who will make you feel like you are not crazy.
YOU are the most important project you will ever work on. You must take your health seriously
YOU must nourish yourself with good food and I encourage you to cook it from whole foods and not open a box (although sometimes a box is all you’ve got left in you, open, heat and serve!)
YOU must take water breaks
YOU must take a shower daily despite your needy kids
YOU must remind yourself that you are more important than your kids because if you are not healthy, you are no good to nobody

YOU Fit Balance!

Find fitness somewhere, go for a walk, stand on the porch and take a time out to breath in the life and fresh air that exists outside that you forgot about because you never leave the house!
Find an accountability buddy – someone who will remind you about your goals and bring you back from “crazy town”
Sign up for a Mom and Baby Stroller Fitness class if you can afford and handle it.
Read Mamma, read! I have lots of free motivation on my Blog HERE!
Do an at home workout, even if it’s 5 -10 minutes and the kids are spitting up on you, crawling on you and driving you crazy. You will feel better. Try these at home workouts.

YOU Be Balance! This is my favourite…

You be crazy
You be angry
You be emotional
You be stressed
You be funny
You be You
Most of all give yourself permission to feel whatever it is that you need to feel at this moment because the more you allow it, the faster YOU will heal. Stop worrying about balance. If you follow my rules above your own “Balance” will start to fall into place.

Hey Sexy Mamas! Do you have anything else to add? I’d love to hear your crazy stories, please share below. Come and try a FREE Stroller Fitness class with all the other Moms who simply understand all of the above. We’ve got you girl!