ATTAINING WORK-LIFE BALANCE THROUGH INTUITIVE PARENTING
While your maternity leave draws to an end, it’s inevitable to worry about your transition to parent life as a working mom.
Around the world, new moms returning to work after their maternity leave often feel torn between their perceived conflicting roles. Like you, they cherish their source of income and professional accomplishments. However, they may also feel tormented just by the thought of leaving their precious baby.
As a new parent, you may ask: Is it possible to pursue a fulfilling career while taking an active role as a mother?
Truth be told, it is absolutely possible. Although there may be various emotions that come with the end of your maternity leave, preparing ahead of time can help you create a smooth transition. Today, we’ll delve into the ways of attaining work-life balance through intuitive parenting.
The greatest challenge of parenting is in the inner work it requires: the strength and confidence in believing that we are not in control of, but the answer for our children.
– Kelly Bartlett
As a working mom, things may feel overwhelming for you- your career, family, obligations, even your daily routine. And as you try to cope and find the elusive balance between your professional and family life, your intuition can help you along the way.
As mentioned earlier, going back to work after your maternity leave may make you experience ambiguous feelings. And for you to properly transition into a parent and provider your precious one deserves, recognize and understand these emotions and properly process them as you journey through parenthood. Some of these feelings are:
Sadness
Feeling sad is a common experience for new moms as you are still adjusting to your new roles intertwined with their old obligations.
How to cope: Communicate with your partner and loved ones what you are feeling and how you can address it. If the feeling of sadness becomes unbearable and debilitating, you can talk to a mental health professional who can help you cope with this transition healthily.
Anxiety
Just thinking of going back to work and leaving your precious one even to a trusted relative can be anxiety-inducing.
How to cope: Having regular check-ups with your caregiver once you return to work can help ease your worry throughout the day. Deep breathing, exercise, and healthy communication can help silence unhelpful thoughts and emotions.
Anger
Postpartum anger is a common yet misunderstood and rarely discussed reality. Some moms may experience feeling resentful about returning to work soon after giving birth. This anger is often brushed off and unknowingly affects how you interact with your loved ones and your workmates.
How to cope: Whenever you feel angry, always strive to ground yourself. Practice yoga, meditation, or exercise that may help you release pent-up anger. You can also talk with a trained mental health professional if your anger becomes debilitating and uncontrollable.
Overwhelm
With all your obligations and new roles to play piling up before you even get used to it, it’s inevitable to feel engulfed by pressure and expectations.
How to cope: Ask for help when you need it. Communicate with your partner and loved ones.
Guilt
It’s normal for your nervousness or excitement to be coupled with guilt. You may feel worried whether you’re making the right choice with so many expectations, suggestions, and opinions around you.
How to cope: Talk to your partner, family, a trusted friend about your decision and feelings. Choose who you spend time with intentionally and avoid those who invalidate your feelings.
Excitement
It’s perfectly normal to feel excited to go back to a work that you love. This can help you attain more balance in the chaos of your new role.
How to cope: Cherish the time that you spend with your baby and loved ones. Focus your thoughts on things that bring you joy and satisfaction.
Achieving a balanced work-life is a complicated and tough task. So, why do you need to strive for a balanced work-life as a new parent?
Here are some perks of achieving a healthy work-life balance:
- It will allow you to make sound decisions both for your career and personal life
- You’ll feel less stressed and more energetic
- It may help you focus and avoid feeling distracted
- It’s beneficial for your baby and partner, as you can manage your time well and spend more quality time with them.
- It will help you prevent burnout at work
- It positively affects your relationships with your loved ones.
Intuition is your gift. Cherish it.
Intuition is your superpower. Use it well.
– Intuitive Moms
Intuition is one of the greatest guidance tools that you can use as a parent in attaining work-life balance. The more you trust it, the more it develops.
In our previous blog, we’ve discussed Intuition and the ways by which you can harness it. Now, we’ll dive into how you can use it as you strive to balance your career and parenthood goals.
So, how can you attain a work-life balance through intuitive parenting?
Check Out These Tips On Attaining Work-Life Balance Through Intuitive Parenting
TAKEAWAY:
Reconnecting with your parenting intuition and the innate wisdom it provides can gradually help you attain the work-life balance that you yearn for.
This intuition is a collection of the countless experiences stored within your deepest memory, which opens now and then to provide you with guidance. It is an integral part of your decision-making process. You need to learn to make it a part of your daily life as it’ll allow you to be in tune with yourself as well as your goals.
As parents, we all long for a more balanced life. To achieve this, you should be willing to make some sacrifices over time. Finding the right balance for you and your family will be inevitably tricky. But with the right mindset, coupled with the willingness to listen to the voice within you, you’ll be able to create the balance that you deserve.
So, silence the noise, set aside your fears, and hang in there, mom. You’ve got this.
