CAN YOU REALLY FEEL FULFILLED AS A STAY AT HOME MOM?
Like many of you, when I first became a stay at home mom, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world, but it didn’t take long before I started missing my old life because life as a stay at home mom wasn’t as fulfilling as I’d imagined.
When I started feeling unfulfilled as a stay at home mom, I knew I had only two choices: suck it up and keep feeling unhappy or figure out a way to change the way I felt.
I chose option two because it made no sense to me to spend a large portion of my life feeling unhappy or inadequate.
Feeling unfulfilled and unmotivated are two of the worst feelings ever and no one deserves to go through life that way.
So if you are not enjoying being a stay at home mom and need some motivation, I can help you.
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11 HABITS OF STAY AT HOME MOMS WHO FEEL FULFILLED
1. THEY HAVE A SENSE OF SELF WORTH
Lots of stay at home moms struggle with low self esteem and have lost their sense of self worth.
They think all the things they do to keep their home and family moving along nicely are simply mundane stuff and nothing special.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
While changing diapers, doing laundry and entertaining your little ones aren’t earth-shattering stuff, they are just as important for keeping a home together and making sure everything is running well.
Yes, you may not be contributing financially to the home, but what you contribute is just as valuable and essential.
Fulfilled stay at home moms have self worth. They don’t let their circumstances or anyone define them or put them down.
They have a healthy self esteem and feel appreciated.
These moms recognize their value and don’t feel inferior to anyone else.
If you’re unhappy, start by asking some tough questions like:
- How do you see yourself?
- Do you have a healthy self-esteem?
- Do you feel worthless or feel that you’re dispensable?
If these questions resonate with you, then you’ve got some work to do on your mindset.
You’re not going to feel fulfilled if you feel worthless, so work on changing your perception of yourself.
Related: 8 Steps to Improving Your Self-Esteem
2. THEY ARE HAPPY WITH THEIR CHOICES
Are you happy with your choice to become a stay at home mom or did circumstances force you into this path?
I know there are lots of moms who became stay at home moms because it was the best or only option for them.
Maybe they had a sick child or they didn’t earn enough to justify the cost of childcare so they made the choice to stay at home with their baby (albeit reluctantly).
I totally understand you.
It’s one thing to do something because you want to, but it’s quite different when you feel forced into something.
If you want to feel more fulfilled as a stay at home mom, you’ve to be happy with your choices.
Moms who are truly happy in this role are happy with the choice they have made.
They are fully aware of what some people think about their decision to stay home, but they know how to tune out the noise.
A fulfilled mom makes no apologies for her choices because she’s happy with them.
If you’re not happy with your choice, it’s going to be hard to feel fulfilled.
Perhaps you can figure out a way to spend more time at home while also doing some of the things you love or enjoy doing (like a career).
3. THEY DON’T FALL INTO THE COMPARISON TRAP
One of the most important habit of a fulfilled stay at home mom is that she doesn’t waste her time or energy comparing herself to others.
While she may not have the perfect life, she knows the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
If you spend your time comparing yourself to other moms, you’re going to have a hard time of things.
When you compare yourself to others, you run the risk of becoming discontented with your life.
It’s okay to look to others for inspiration and ideas, that’s something I actually recommend, but the problem is when we go from looking for inspiration to comparing ourselves with others.
Since you don’t really know what others are dealing with, it’s silly to assume someone else has it better than you based on appearances.
It may be true that they do have it better, but you know what?
Lots of people are going to be more successful or richer than you, same way you’re more successful and richer than others.
So it’s quite pointless comparing yourself to others.
Instead focus on yourself and work on becoming the best version of yourself that you can be.
Work on your goals and the things that are important to you and forget about what others are doing.
That’s one of the ways to be truly happy and fulfilled in life.
4. A FULFILLED STAY AT HOME MOM IS CONFIDENT
Are you a confident mom or do you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing most of the time?
I have been there and done that.
Don’t let being a stay at home mom erode your confidence or fill you with doubts.
A stay at home mom who enjoys her role knows that she has what it takes to succeed. They are out there creating the home and life they desire.
Yes, there are times when they suffer from doubts, but those feelings are short-lived.
A fulfilled mom knows the value of her work and she approaches life with confidence.
When people ask her what she does for work, she doesn’t hang her head in shame or respond apologetically because she knows she’s doing God’s work.
You want to feel more fulfilled and happy? Start by working on your confidence!
Related: How to be a Successful Stay at Home Mom
5. STAY AT HOME MOMS WHO FEEL FULFILLED ARE CONTENT
One habit of stay at home moms who feel fulfilled is that they are content with their lives.
Now don’t get me wrong.
It doesn’t mean that these moms don’t have goals or aspirations, but for the most part they are happy with where they are right now.
But, they continue working on their goals and making life better for themselves and their family.
Now I don’t want you to mistake contentment for resignation.
Being content doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything for yourself. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have dreams or chase them.
I am the last person that would say that because I believe that one of the reasons so many stay at home moms are in a rut is because they have no goals or things that motivate them.
Being content just means you aren’t constantly striving for more or hankering after one thing or the other.
You know, sort of like that kid who always wants one more toy after saying this is the last toy they’d ever ask for!
6. FULFILLED STAY AT HOME MOMS LOOK INWARD
One thing I have learned over the years is that change must begin with the heart.
If you’re looking for a solution to a problem, the best place to start is always inward.
Sometimes all you need is a little introspection.
The happiest moms I know don’t look outside themselves for fulfillment.
These moms know how to motivate themselves and understand that the first step to being a fulfilled stay at home mom is to look inward.
Start by making a conscious decision to be happy and fulfilled.
If you’re not happy inside, you won’t feel fulfilled no matter how well things may be going in your life.
I think this is the point I have to mention that as a Christian, I find joy and fulfillment in Christ. He’s the one who completes me and makes me feel loved and valued.
I am nothing and can do nothing without him.
With that said, if you want to feel more fulfilled in your life stop looking around or waiting for other people, things or circumstances to make it happen.
Dig deep into you own heart and start looking inward for fulfillment instead of outward.
Related: 10 Best Tips to be a Happy Stay at Home Mom
7. THEY DON’T TRY TO TAKE ON TOO MUCH AT A TIME
When you’re a stay at home mom, the ability to multitask is a must because you’ll struggle to accomplish much if you can’t multitask.
I remember some years ago when I enrolled in some online classes. There were a quite a few times when I completed some tests while breastfeeding because that was the only time I had to complete those tests (didn’t help that I used to procrastinate a lot).
Yes, it’s good to be able to multitask, but that doesn’t mean you should take on too much at atime.
When you take on too much, you may end up feeling overwhelmed.
Taking on too much at a time also sets you up for failure.
You’re less productive when you try to do too much all at once. Instead learn to prioritize and manage your time well so you don’t fee rushed or stressed because you have so many uncompleted tasks.
This way you don’t have to feel like you’re failing at this stay at home mom thing because you know how to schedule things and pace yourself.
8. STAY AT HOME MOMS WHO FEEL FULFILLED ARE RESOURCEFUL
If you want to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom, you have to learn to be resourceful.
Being resourceful means you know how to problem solve.
You know how how to find answers and deal with difficult situations when they arise.
When you’re resourceful, every tantrum or mishap doesn’t feel like it’s the end of the world or make you feel like you’re failing.
It’s true some days are harder than others, but a resourceful mom knows she’s got this and doesn’t make a big deal out of everything.
You’ll feel more fulfilled when you know you’re in control and can handle most situations that arise.
9. FULFILLED STAY AT HOME MOMS ARE POSITIVE THINKERS
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
I have worked really hard to be more positive because I used to be a glass-empty kind of girl.
For some weird reason, I always thought and expected the worse to happen (I do have an overactive imagination I must say).
Thinking negative thoughts about yourself or your life doesn’t help you one bit.
Instead of beating yourself up or saying negative things about yourself, change things up and start thinking positive thoughts.
When you replace your negative thoughts with positive ones, suddenly your life feels brighter and you start to see lots of possibilities where you thought there were none.
When you become a positive thinker, life doesn’t look so boring or bleak.
It feels exciting and awesome.
10. THEY VALUE THEIR TIME
Have you ever spent your day doing nothing, then feel angry and unfulfilled at the end of the day because you accomplished nothing?
I have, lots of times.
How do you spend your days?
Do you spend hours each day mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest?
Do you spend countless hours watching TV with no real thought?
When you spend your time mindlessly, you end feeling a bit empty.
If you want to feel fulfilled, you’ve to stat by looking at how you spend your time?
Are you investing your time on valuable things like personal growth and development or some other meaningful activity?
It’s time for some soul searching.
11. FULFILLED STAY AT HOME MOMS ARE INTENTIONAL
Do you leave life up t chance or are you out there setting goals and pursuing your dreams (whatever they may be)?
Being a stay at home mom doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have goals or chase some of your dreams.
You don’t have to give up your life completely because you’re a stay at home mom.
If you feel unfulfilled, it may be because you don’t have goals or you’re aren’t doing anything for yourself.
It’s up to you to change that.
Instead of winging things, choose to become an intentional stay at home mom.
Live your life with purpose. Plan out your days. Set goals. Have a vision for your life and what you want this season of your life to look like.
That’s what being intentional means.
HOW TO FEEL FULFILLED AS STAY AT HOME MOM
Being a stay at home mom can be fun and enjoyable.
While it’s by no means the easiest job in the world, you it can still be very fulfilling you become a bit more intentional.
All you need is to rediscover your purpose and find some motivation and you can start feeling fulfilled as a stay at home mom.
How do you feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom?
