Where do you find the motivation on the days you are just plain exhausted? You know those days. You were up all night with a teething baby, your preschooler had nightmares, the neighbor’s dog was barking… whatever woke you up, you just could not get back to sleep. Then, you finally slip into a deep, blissful sleep.. only to awake five minutes later. Okay, maybe not five minutes, but it sure feels like it.

And then.. the day begins. Errands to run, clothes to wash, dishes to clean. It seems like every chore and task that needs to be done has waited to descend on you on this day, this day that follows no sleep. The kids are cranky, naptime seems forever away, and you just want to lose your mind. The word ‘motivation’ seems so far off that it is lightyears away. Motivation? In this house? Not a chance.

I have found a unique approach to this problem. I have a relatively constant course of activities in a week, all which center greatly around my one year old daughter’s naptime. If she misses that nap, there is no peace in this house. But throughout the week, I have laundry days, appointment days, my son has two days of preschool, and we usually have a shopping day. I try to find some activities to do with the kids, which is a little more difficult with the colder weather, as park time is something we really enjoy. By the end of the week, we are all exhausted. So what is missing in all of this? What happens on those days when motivation is gone?

Nothing. That’s right, I said nothing. As a mother, of course this is never completely possible. There are still diapers to change, meals to make, and spills to clean. But, for the general scheme of things, the cure to days like this, when possible, is to do as little as possible.

Now, I realize a lot of you are shaking your head at me, thinking what kind of mother is she?? What does she mean ‘do nothing’? There are clothes to be washed, errands to be run, things to do!! Yes, there are always a hundred and one things overflowing our to-do lists. This is how we miss the fun and the ability to do nothing. Burn out is something often discussed in regards to careers; however, it is so often overlooked concerning stay at home moms. How could we possibly be burned out from staying home all day? (ahem. No comment.) But, it happens. We get tired. We do not feel like being Betty Crocker, or Martha Stewart, or a Stepford mom. No, we just want to do nothing.

I have learned to embrace this. On these days (and believe me, they are few and far between), I feed the kids breakfast and they enjoy their morning play time. Then, I throw down blankets in the living room, prepare some snacks, and snuggle with my kids. We watch a movie, play with some toys, maybe set up some tracks for my son’s cars, ‘feed’ my daughter’s baby dolls. I make an easy lunch- maybe some easy mac and apple slices, or some turkey sandwiches with carrot sticks and celery with peanut butter. The key here is easy. We may have a picnic lunch together or eat at the table; either way we just hang out eating lunch, no rushing to get our the door or anxious to clean up. My daughter goes down for a nap, then my son and I have some time together. Again, my motivation is lacking on this day, so we keep it to play doh or coloring books. Nothing fancy. He goes down for a nap.

Then, I have some much need quiet time. I probably will straighten up a little, but then I take some time for me. I may browse some blogs, flip through a magazine, or watch the news. It doesn’t matter what I do- the point is that it is minimal in stress. I am about five weeks from completing my degree that I have been working hard on for a few years, and I am constantly doing work in my free time. So on those days when I am at the end of my rope, my motivation is gone, and I just need a break- I have learned to take it.

What do you do when you lack motivation? How do you give yourself a break? Share with me!

Tagged as: breaks, Home, motivation