11 Powerful Ways A Woman Can Rediscover Her Sense Of Self As She Embarks On The Journey Of Motherhood:

Motherhood is a powerful, transformative journey that can bring with it both immense joy and great struggle. For many women, becoming a mother can mean losing a sense of self and not recognizing the person they have become. The idea of having to “re-birth” yourself as a mother can be daunting and overwhelming, and it is completely normal to feel a sense of loss from the life you used to live and the person you used to be.

But this journey of motherhood can also be seen as an opportunity for growth and transformation. It is important to take conscious steps towards reclaiming your sense of self and integrating the parts of yourself that you love, your strengths and qualities from the “past you” into the present “now you”. It is also important to have self-compassion for the journey you are walking, as it is different for every woman, yet the essence of it is the same for all of us.

It is important to remember that motherhood is a verb, not a noun – something that you do, not the entirety of who you are. Being a mother is a beautiful and powerful experience, and if you want to thrive as a woman and a mama, it is essential to recognize the changes that come with being a mother, while also recognizing and nurturing the parts of yourself that still remain.

Becoming a mother is an amazing journey that can be both rewarding and challenging. As mothers, it can be so easy to loose our sense of "self", our independence and our autonomy. More often than not we put ourselves last and focus on taking care of our families. The thing that we may not be aware of, or can easily forget is that by putting our own needs last and not nurturing ourselves we suffer and slide down the slippery slop of overwhelm, burnout and struggle in survival mode. Being a mother is not supposed to be about merely surviving it. It is an opportunity for us to learn how to thrive through it.

Going from surviving to thriving takes conscious effort. It requires you to commit to yourself. Thriving demands that you make yourself the most important person in your world, because if you don't you will slide back down the slippery slope back into surviving and everyone suffers for that. You can't give to others what you don't have.

But that doesn't mean we should forget about our own needs. Here are 11 powerful ways a woman can rediscover her sense of self as she embarks on the journey of motherhood:

1. - Give yourself permission to discover what you want, what you need and how you can give these things to yourself. Taking some time to sit quietly with yourself and ask yourself these questions is a really powerful way for you to begin to meet your own needs and nurture yourself in fulfilling ways. You may want to journal your q&a session with yourself, listen to a meditation or hypnosis audio that can help you to create awareness, or connect with nature and allow the energy to help you to quieten and still your mind so you can hear your own answers.

2. -  Take Time for Self-Care: Self-care is essential for any mother. Taking time to do something you enjoy, such as yoga, reading a book, or getting a massage, can help you remember who you are and recharge your batteries.

3. - Get to know what your personal boundaries look like. Discover what you are willing to do, what you are not willing to do. Learn how to say "No" when you need to and "Yes" when you want to. This is a powerful way for you to stop feeling resentful, guilty or taken advantage of. Boundaries are not mean. They are not intended to hurt others. Rather boundaries are designed to enrich and protect you and the relationship you have with others. The are designed to limit conflict and maintain respect of both yourself and the other person. Invest some time to learn new ways of communicating what you need. As an example: "I hear what you are saying and I need some time to think about how I feel about this. Can we take a break and I will come back to you once I am clear on how I would like to respond to that?" or "I wish I could help, but I'm not available right now to support you."

4.- Ask for help. Asking for help when needed can help alleviate some of the stress and burden of parenting and can make the experience more enjoyable for everyone involved. Not only can asking for help provide an extra set of hands to help with childcare, but it can also provide emotional support for both mother and the child. Asking for help can also provide you with the opportunity to take a break and recharge, which is essential for a healthy and happy family. There are a couple of steps to consider when asking for help.

1. Accept that you might feel uncomfortable asking for help.
2. Find the best person to ask
3. Be specific and direct in your request.
4. Allow the person helping you to help you in a way that you can receive it. It can be challenging to ask for help, and equally challenging to allow yourself to receive the help being offered.

5. - Prioritising importance on tasks, jobs and duties. The home-domestic jobs are never done. It is a never ending cycle of dishes, washing, cleaning, organising etc... Identify what needs to be done and what importance is given to that task. How long will this task take? How much energy does this task require? Can you do it in stages? Can you delegate? Are you making something important that really isn't that important? Can you re prioritise your priorities?

6. - Allow yourself to be OK with never getting "on-top-of-things". You are only one person and demands of your domestic and professional life are great. You can NOT do it all, all of the time. There are going to be days, weeks and months where you have to let things slide and be ok with that. If you run yourself into an early grave, no one is going to be there with a winners medal for mopping, vacuuming, washing, cleaning, dusting etc...

7. - Spend Time Alone: Spending time alone is a great way to reconnect with yourself. Whether it’s a few hours or a few days, taking time for yourself can help you refocus and recharge.

8. - Reconnect with Your Passions: Before becoming a mom, you likely had hobbies and passions. Reconnecting with those passions can help you rediscover your sense of self.

9. - Get Creative: Creativity can be a great way to express your true self. Whether it’s through writing, painting, crafting, or any other creative outlet, getting creative can help you express and connect with yourself.

10. - Invest Your Time with Friends: Investing time with friends can be an incredible way to remember who you are. Having meaningful conversations and laughing with friends can help you rediscover your sense of self.

11. - Give yourself permission to have more fun, happiness, joy & relaxation in your day. Life can be all too serious at times and let's be honest. Society has detrimentally unrealistic expectations on what being a "good mother" looks like. So, give yourself permission lady! You can make it up your way, so why not enjoy it!

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