GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — This Mother's Day weekend is a perfect time to take stock of how moms are doing these days in terms of their own health and well-being.
Developmental psychologist Dr. Marti Erickson and her daughter, nurse practitioner Dr. Erin Erickson, are co-hosts of the weekly podcast Mom Enough.
They joined KARE 11 Saturday to talk about why so many moms are overwhelmed these days and what moms and their families can do to find a healthier balance in their busy lives.
Here are three strategies that can help create a calmer, more balanced life:
1. Be intentional about visualizing the life you want
Think of things that make you feel calm and happy – getting a good night's sleep, taking a walk with a friend, reading a book just for pleasure, leaving a whole Saturday unscheduled so that you and your family can be spontaneous. Take charge of your calendar and decide with your family on boundaries and guidelines that prevent a hectic household or a pattern of rushing from one place or activity to another 24/7. Write "down times" onto your calendar just as you do important events. Downtime is an important event for health and well-being.
2. Practice saying no gracefully
When a request or opportunity comes your way, ask yourself, "If I say yes to this, what will I be saying no to?" Avoid giving an immediate answer unless you absolutely must; buy yourself time to think about what a "yes" will mean to you right now and in the future. Reflect on the life you envisioned – and planned – for yourself and your family. How will saying yes to this new request or opportunity affect your plan?
3. Be mindful about taking charge of your devices, rather than vice versa
Our electronic devices, especially surfing the internet or diving down the black hole of social media, often derail our best plans for how to use our time. Designate specific times and time limits for screen time, setting an alarm to tell you when it's time to stop. As a family, declare "green hours" when you all put your devices away – dinner time, the hour before lights out, maybe even an entire "green day" or "green weekend." You are likely to discover downtime you didn't even realize you could have.
For more on this topic, tune into the Mom Enough podcast with Tonya Dalton, author of The Joy of Missing Out.
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