Let me start off by saying, if you are a mum currently feeling overwhelmed,
exhausted and burnt out, you are not alone. Hi, I am Courtney Love. I am a yoga &
meditation teacher and mindset coach. I am also a mum. Every day I see women
mentally and physically burnt out, just as I was. Trying to do everything themselves,
and wearing 100 different hats. It can be exhausting and lead to things such as
anxiety, depression and overwhelm.
We live in such a fast-paced culture, where being constantly busy is glorified. No one is thinking about the effects this culture is having on our mental health. So, if you are a mum, tethering on the boarder of being completely burnt out, here are a few things that have worked for me.
Box breathing
Box breathing is an amazing tool to help calm the nervous system. By regulating
your breath, you are able to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This has a
relaxing effect on your body and can help ease anxiety and calm the mind. Here’s
how to practice.
Inhale to the count of four
Hold your breath to the count of four
Exhale to the count of four
Hold your breath to the count of four
Repeat this type of breathing for a minimum of four minutes, longer if you are
particularly stressed. Studies have shown that it takes at least four minutes for your
body to begin to respond to this type of breathwork so don’t give up.
Stop saying yes
As mothers, wives, partners and friends, we often say yes when we really want to
say no. Practice setting boundaries. Say no when you want to. Stop over committing
yourself when you don’t have the energy or the capacity to do so. This is a form of
self-care. It is not selfish. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but when we speak our
truth and say what we mean, our nervous system begins to respond. You can’t pour
from an empty cup, so looking after yourself first, will give you the space within to
look after your family too.
Switch off
This seems so simple yet so many of us struggle with it. Switching off your device for
a few hours every day. I advise clients to not look at their phone for one hour upon
waking. When we are asleep, our body produces melatonin. When we wake,
melatonin levels are still quite high. This is why we often wake up feeling sleepy and
even relaxed. When you reach for your phone upon waking, you are subjected to
negative news, social media and emails. Your brain goes from a relaxed state, to a
frantic state almost instantly. You will end up being less productive if you begin your
day this way. Instead of reaching for your phone in the morning, practice box
breathing, stretch and sip on your coffee in quiet. Allow your mind to stay peaceful.
The rest of the world can wait. Others urgency is not yours. Protect your peace at all
costs.
Shift your mindset
Another reason we are burnt out is because we are constantly trying to keep up
appearances. Pretending like we have it all under control. Never wanting to ask for
help. We need to shift our mindset and stop caring about what the outside world
thinks. You can begin to shift your mindset by practicing yoga, meditation and
breathwork. Start off small. A simple 10 minute yoga class each morning can
completely change the course of your day. If you are wanting to dive deeper into
shifting your mindset, I have a program dedicated to just this. It’s a 4 week program
that explores how we can ease anxiety and shift our mindset through yoga,
meditation and learning to control the breath.
Making small changes every day will help you create a positive habit and eliminate
burn out. I personally use to run off cortisol every day. I was tired, stressed and
anxious. I knew something had to change. Since finding mindfulness and putting the
above in to practice, I was able to go from stressed and anxious, to peaceful and
thriving. If you feel overwhelmed by this list, just pick one thing to work on and set
yourself a goal of doing it every day for one week. When you feel more confident,
you can begin adding more practices to your daily self-care routine.
If you want to dive deeper into mindfulness, yoga, breathwork and meditation, you
can find me on Instagram @bendbycourtney or to join my classes & program head to
www.bendbycourtney.com
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