There is a lot of talk today about always being “plugged in”. Can you imagine a day without your smart phone? Most of us have it with us not just during the day but into the evening and even sleep with it next to us on the night stand. It’s no wonder with that feeling of always being “on” Moms can feel overwhelmed and stressed.
The message we unintentionally share with our daughters is that not only can we not have it all, but in our quest to do so we become overwhelmed and are not always present in the moment. When we ask our daughters about their day and they are busy texting a friend and don’t look up, it is a learned habit that we may be unintentionally passing on to them. There are some things we can do to help ourselves that will have a positive impact on our daughters.
Sleep: One of the most underappreciated habits is sleep. In her book Thrive, Arianna Huffington talks at length about the importance of getting enough sleep. Not only does it help the brain function better, it helps overall performance. Sleeping more is a habit that, when shared with our tween and teenage girls, will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Unplugging: Looking at the habits of the most successful leaders of our time, all of them start the day out doing something other than checking email. In fact, checking email before going to sleep and first thing when we wake leads to a decrease in productivity. Starting the day doing the thing that is the most productive (which is not email) will lead to a higher sense of accomplishment and well-being. Sharing this with our daughters will also help them to be more focused as they embark on their day.
Single Tasking: Women often feel like they can do it all by multi-tasking. However if you watch this video from the Ellen Show it highlights how it is impossible to do anything well if we are distracted doing more than one thing at once.
Try instead to do just one thing; watch your daughter’s game, theatrical rehearsal or whatever that may be without your phone. When doing a task for work, only have one tab open at a time on the internet. Turn your phone on to Airplane mode when you are focusing. Most importantly, single tasking will help you be present for your daughter.
Discover and Network: One thing that helps women the most is finding other women who face the same challenge. There are many outlets for finding women’s groups: professional and personal growth, volunteering and non-profits. Make time for this activity as it truly will help give you a sense of balance knowing you are not alone in whatever you are facing. Share the feeling you get when you are with this new group with your daughter and encourage her to find others with a common interest.
Get Active: Many women feel they don’t have time to exercise. There are countless health benefits and the most important one is stress reduction. Getting up 30 minutes earlier to exercise may seem impossible however once you try it for a week, you may discover that not only does it help you focus during the day, it helps mood, patience and overall sense of calm. Taking care of ourselves is the greatest balance message of all to impart with our daughters.
What do you do to find balance? Share a comment below or join our community on Facebook .
