How to Rediscover Yourself After Becoming a Mother
Becoming a mother will be the biggest blessing of your life. You truly learn a new kind of love and it is hands down the best feeling ever.
But rediscovering yourself after motherhood is a journey in itself and will come with some challenges.
I’ve always had a need to take care of those around me and when I had my son, this amplified. I love the feeling I get when I know that my loved ones are cared for, comfortable, and have everything they need.
Once you have a baby, you will find that your need to care for others will amplify too. Along the way, you’ll start to miss the extra time you had to do what YOU wanted to do.
Keeping your identity as a mom will require you to think about yourself and learn how to not feel mom guilt when you take much needed time for yourself.
Here are 5 ways to rediscover yourself and keep your identity as a mom.
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5 Tips for Rediscovering Yourself After Motherhood
1. Make Self Care a Priority
I know everyone will tell you this, but it really is an essential part of staying true to yourself. Self care doesn’t always have to be a bubble bath. Do whatever self care means to you. As long as you are making time for YOU, that is self care.
A common phrase you’ll hear in my posts: you can’t fill from an empty cup.
Taking care of others is a WONDERFUL thing, but extremely hard to do if you are running on a low battery.
If you’re experiencing burn out, then caring for others starts to feel more like a chore or burden than it does something that makes you feel good.
RELATED READ: 20+ Self Care Ideas for New Moms (Get a FREE printable!)
2. Get Out of the House
If you are a stay at home/work from home mom, you may feel like you’re going crazy at times if you’re cooped up with your kids.
Make it a point to get yourself out of the house and do something for yourself (not just running errands). Grab a starbucks, go shopping, walk around Target.
Go enjoy some of the little things you enjoyed prior to becoming a mama.
If you keep yourself stuck in one world that revolves around others, you’ll never feel as if you have your own identity.
3. Make Your Hobbies/Side Hustle a Priority
If I didn’t write my blog, I don’t know what I would have done with myself!
Having kids doesn’t mean you should stop doing the things you enjoy. It just means you have to get creative with your time.
Although you may have less time, it doesn’t mean you should just say “forget it” to the things you love.
A major part of keeping your identity is continuing to do what you did prior to having kids.
RELATED READ: Work From Home Mom Morning Routine With an Infant
4. Spend Time With Friends & Spouse
The best way to step out of the mom role for a bit is to go spend time with your friends or spouse!
As mentioned in the previous point, rediscovering yourself after motherhood means you continue to do what you did before you had kids.
The people you surround yourself with play a part in who you are. So don’t forget to make time with your friends and significant other.
5. Wear What You Love
This is something SO simple but can quickly get pushed to the side. It’s been easy for me to slip into the habit of wearing sweats 24/7 as a WFH mom.
But I know I feel my best and most like myself when I wear the clothes I love.
There’s nothing wrong with being comfortable, but don’t get sucked into dressing down. You’ll feel more confident when you dress the way you want!
Final Thoughts on Rediscovering Yourself After Motherhood
One thing is for sure: keeping your identity is going to take some effort. Some of these tips may be easier than others.
When you feel yourself getting lost and caught up in motherhood, take a step back and make a plan for how you want to rediscover yourself again.
What has helped you keep your identity as a mom? Share in the comments!
