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Why is today the best moment to pursue your goals? Discover how pursuing your passions has a beneficial impact on your life and makes you a better mother!
This parenting gig isn’t easy, and with the recent pandemic, learning to homeschool, giving birth during lockdowns…it’s just been a lot for so many of us.
I recently started a gardening hobby, and I can’t even begin to describe how amazing it has been for my sanity. So I started talking to my friends and everyone that had some sort of a side hustle or hobby aside from their motherhood journey, was so much happier than those who solely focused on their children.
Could there be something positive to this hobby thing? Absolutely! It’s totally ok to be more than a Mom.
Benefits To Having A Hobby As A Parent
Despite the fact that it is still frightening, there are seven major advantages to establishing an unconventional life right now that will provide you more freedom.
It’s 100% Your Own
Yours alone, not your child’s, partner’s, or anybody else’s.
That out-of-the-box interest that keeps you calm in a chaotic environment.
For me it was starting this little mommy blog, followed by an Instagram account and then a tik tok account.
Then there is my brand new garden.
What does it mean to you?
What would you do if there were no rules and you couldn’t fail?
You Do It At Your Own Pace
You can do your hobby whenever you want to. If you have energy during nap time, or if you want to get up a little early in the morning, you choose!
With my gardening hobby, I can do it while the kids enjoy the backyard!
You get to make all of the decisions.
Nobody tells you when to arrive.
When your children are unwell, no one urges you to go to work.
Nobody tells you that you have to go to work, even if it is dangerous.
It’s all yours 100 %. Okay?
You Can Still Enjoy Your Kids and Teach Them Too
What better method to instil values in your children than to lead by example?
Chances are, if you’ve ever gotten a box from us, it was packaged by one of our kids…
They enjoy assisting others and believe that they are contributing to the family’s well-being.
When your children witness you pursuing your ambitions and making them a reality, it encourages them to dream of all the possibilities in their own lives.
there Is Little Risk
I’m confident in knowing that if all I’ve achieved so far crumbles tomorrow, I’ll be able to pick myself up and start over.
Is it because I’m superhuman?
Not in the least.
It’s just that I’ve honed the talents and learnt the steps to living a life outside the box.
It’s safe to create an out-of-the-box existence for oneself, powered by enthusiasm, because you don’t have to rely on anyone except yourself…
You don’t have to be concerned if your company downsizes and you lose your job.
You’ll Learn Time Management
Sometimes the day to day of motherhood can get mundane, and everyday looks and feels exactly the same. Adding in a hobby or a side hustle can help you get a little excitement into your day, and you can learn some time management skills as well.
However, you will be able to manage that time and spend it on the things that are most important to you.
Spending time cuddling or playing games with your children.
Date nights with your significant other.
Doing something for yourself that makes you feel good on the inside.
You can reclaim your time by living a life outside the box!
You’ll Be An Inspiration
This is especially crucial to hear for women with out-of-the-box kids.
You’re showing your children that they can do the same by living an out-of-the-box life.
They are not required to work in a factory…
Alternatively, you may work a nine-to-five job.
You’re instilling in them the belief that they can direct their own lives and live lives with meaning and purpose… and you demonstrated that it’s all right.
When you gave yourself permission, you gave them permission to pursue their ambitions.
It’s Good For Your Mental Health
You had interests and ideals before you became a mother. You had some time to yourself. You interacted with others. You did things merely for the sake of having pleasure. You might not want to do any of the things you used to do now that you’re a mother.
I understand that being out until 8 p.m. now appears to be a punishment rather than a liberation.
You did, however, have a life before to being a parent that was not solely focused on your children. And you were probably in a better mental condition as a result.
Even if it was just because you used to sleep more—a lot more—you were probably less burnt out and more concerned about your health.
What Counts As a Hobby
Don’t worry if you’re reading this and realise that you need more non-mom things to identify with in your life; it’s not like you have to start a new job, learn a new language, or do something that takes up hours of your time.
It doesn’t even have to be anything that takes a lot of thought or consistency. After staying up all night with a newborn or a slew of little children, alone time may arrive in five-minute increments.
It is not necessary for your hobby to be difficult. It doesn’t have to entail meetings, groups, or even leaving the house. It doesn’t have to be a formal occasion, but I recommend adding reminders to your to-do list or calendar so that it gets done—however you do it.
A pastime that promotes relaxation, allows you to focus on yourself as a person (i.e. reading parenting books doesn’t really count as your non-mom reprieve), and helps to reenergize you as a person is what you need. That is all there is to it.
Even on days when things are bursting all around you, you should regard hobby time or recharge time as a crucial prescription you take on a regular basis, rather than seeing it as the easiest thing to tick off the list. It’s the entire “first put on your oxygen mask” thing, and it’s not wrong.
For exceptionally busy moms, hobby ideas can be simple. You probably have an idea of your own, but if you need some inspiration, consider the following:
- Sudoku
- Games on your smartphone
- Reading a non-parenting and non-educational book (unless education IS your hobby)
- Listening to a podcast or audiobook or favorite music
- Doing yoga or another energizing and preferred type of movement
- Meditation
