How do you deal with low-motivation days?

[KSDoulaMama]

Sometimes I wake up and I'm ready to get moving and get things done... other days not so much! It's just me and my one baby, so it's easy to be lazy sometimes. But I really do need to be getting things done most days!

This morning DD and I woke up at 8 and we've been just lying around for the past hour and a half. I did manage to make myself a cup of tea, eat some breakfast, and drag the space heater up from the basement. (It is COLD today!)

DD is taking a nap now... I have tons of things I need to do today and when she wakes up from her nap we have to leave the house... but I'm still just sitting here in my PJ's!

Also, perhaps more importantly than the stuff I need to do around the house, when I'm feeling blah I don't connect as well with my daughter and so then she ends up feeling icky too and is more fussy!

So... how do you motivate yourself on days like this?

[kayleesmom]

i find taking a shower even if i had taken one the night before really helps me get motivated and getting dressed. gives me the feeling of ok lets get moving.

[MrsBone]

No advice, just waiting for others responses, as I have the same problem. It's easy to not have a big "schedule" when you only have one kiddo. I know it's going to be hard once our second arrives, but in a way I'm looking forward to it because it will force me to get myself on a schedule and do the same chores every day, make sure everything gets done. Ya know?

[midnightmommy]

I sit on my butt. Sometimes I look at my list and see if anything really has to be done. Some days that gets me going again. Some days it doesn't. I figure there is always another day. If I push myself when I'm just not feeling it I just end up in a bad mood.

[crunchy_mommy]

1 - I have some time to 'wake up' while I'm working (computer work) & DS is still asleep

2 - I always take a shower within a half hour of DS waking up

3 - We leave the house as soon as I'm showered & DS and I are dressed


Every once in a while we have a lazy day (usually if I'm not feeling well) & I think you need to give yourself permission to do that -- and truly enjoy and appreciate being lazy rather than feeling guilty.

[mom2happy]

If I really need it, I allow myself to take a lazy day to just be with the kids, make our meals and clean up just that mess.
The laundry and other stuff waits till the next day.
If I just feel lazy, but know I'll be mad at myself the next day, I just have a stong cup of tea and force myself to get with it.
I find that if I keep our menu planned and inventory all stocked I can have these days once in while- guilt free!

[mommariffic]

I firmly believe in one lazy day per week, and we are deep in a lazy "afternoon" here...this morning we did crafts, I rearranged spice cabinet, and did some homeschooling stuff but for the remainder of the day we are watching movies, order pumpkin sushi rolls, and taking bubble baths.

[southernmommie]

If I'm not feeling my motivated self to get things done around the house, I take a break that day. As long as I don't go into the second week, we're good. I've had times where I needed the whole week to rest. By the weekend or the next Monday, I've been back to normal again. Hubby pitches in on those times when I seem more tired than usual. Most of the time I don't need the whole week. Only like once or twice a year I'll need a week. Especially here coming up when I'll be with a newborn.
But to answer your post, take your day off. Mine are the weekends. I'm off on the weekends and sometimes I'll need a day off during the week. I don't need every week to have a day off, but sometimes I do.

[KSDoulaMama]

I guess I just need to give it up and be lazy once in a while, but I feel like I DO have days for that... just once in a while I am slow to start on a day that really CAN'T be a lazy day. Today I had made a promise to ship a huge box of donor milk to my milk recipient family, and DW scheduled to come home on her lunch to help me, so I had to be ready. I also really wanted to go to playgroup because I like it... Just hard to get moving!

crunchy_mommy- I do tend to do better on the days that I wake up before DD. Perhaps rolling out of bed a little before her more often would be helpful.

kayleesmom- Showering right away is a good idea too!

[hadleys_mom]

I say enjoy it! As a SAHM it is so easy to get burned out or feel overwhelmed during different phases of your child's life. So if right now you are in a good place to just relax with a lazy day and enjoy your child...do it! That is the joy of staying home. Learning now how to relax about the massive To Do lists we create will give you some practice of how to let those things go when life really does get more hectic.

[PoetryLover]

I go to this thread for accountability and I try to see what I can get done in 15 minutes at a time. http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1262265

[PoetryLover]

Originally Posted by mommariffic

I firmly believe in one lazy day per week, and we are deep in a lazy "afternoon" here...this morning we did crafts, I rearranged spice cabinet, and did some homeschooling stuff but for the remainder of the day we are watching movies, order pumpkin sushi rolls, and taking bubble baths.

Now THAT'S my kind of day!

[jeslynn]

We too believe in one lazy day a week. But if I really need to get my butt in gear I take a shower. Or I start a project that I HAVE to finish. Like reorganizing the kitchen shelves, redoing the closet, etc.

[CherryBombMama]

on those days, i dont make dinner.

just knowing that dinner is going to be made by someone else makes my day sooooo much better, and makes me WANT to do things lol

or, i put on my walking shoes, which makes me want to go for a walk, which makes my blood flow, which picks up my mood

[ReadingMama]

I've accepted that I'm not a morning person and that I'm not likely to accomplish anything other than breakfast before noon.

Mornings are relaxed for me and my son (who is homeschooled). And that's okay. My most efficient time is in the evening. When I was a new mom, I struggled with feeling like a failure because I didn't get "enough" done. I made long lists and felt good about myself only when I accomplished a lot.

I still enjoy taking care of business and being productive. But over the years I've learned the basics that make me feel like I'm doing okay. Those basics are something like:

1. get clean and dressed
2. homeschool basics (reading, science, history)
3. dishes done, kitchen counters wiped, and floors swept
4. something easy for dinner (Crockpot meal or eggs and toast, even)

If I need motivation to do housework, I use a timer and listen to Rihanna or Lady Gaga. I like to light my Yankee Candle Co. candle too.

I've learned that there are 3 things that make my husband happy. He thinks I've been working hard if I focus on these things:

1. make our bed
2. no dirty dishes in the sink
3. something (anything!) made for dinner

I think he's pretty easy to please!

What are your expectations for yourself?

[pearl2]

This may or may not be helpful...

I just stopped worrying about it. There is no Mom Police that shows up unannounced with a clipboard and promptly tears off my big fat red F for the day. Once I figured that out, then I was good to go. I don't see the point in getting worked up about things. I just make sure i am not lying around in filth for days on end.

My expectations are REALLY low. I set them way too high in the beginning and definitely ended up in therapy for trying to be Supermom. Here they are now:

1. Feed my child decent food.
2. Feed myself decent food.
3. Drink water.
4. At least think about what to make for dinner.

That's it! If we get out, great. If I clean, great. If not, great. I am also pregnant with #2 and had a rough first trimester, so I spent a lot of time on the couch and floor with DD. She is too young to know the difference.

Sometimes I do 30 min. of power cleaning where I pretend like someone is coming over and I have to clean really fast. It is amazing how much I can get done. My biggest areas of noticeable clutter are toys, dishes, and laundry. I can fool my DH thinking I cleaned all day (not that he expects that at all) if I keep on top of these 3 things simply because they are the most visually obvious.

Hahah, to summarize:
1. Yes to figuring out your personal bare basic minimum expectations of yourself/situation. BASIC is the key word here. Anything you do past these simple rules for yourself is always a bonus.
2. Banish mom guilt and don't buy into the lies of the Mommy Wars and stop comparing/thinking of what other moms must be doing (and how much 'better' they're managing. ha!)
3. Do one fun thing a day.


e.t.a. Hahah ReadingMama, we seem to operate the same!!

[Learning_Mum]

I don't do anything.

I give myself permission to do as little as possible that day. For me that involves making sure the kids are fed and safe. Doing the washing. Tidying up and running the vacuum around. I used to let everything go (apart from the kids!) but there was always so much work the next day that I'd get too behind and have to work my butt off to get the house in order again.

I will sometimes decide not to make dinner. It's just me and the kids so I don't need to worry about a SO, so on those nights the kids might have popcorn for dinner or tinned soup. Today has been one of those days and it was peanut butter and banana sandwiches for dinner.

[*bejeweled*]

Check out my sig...

[thaihotmama]

I totally agree, pearl2!! I worried so much about getting things done in the first month or so - things that legitimately had to get done re: insurance, my job, etc.... And finally, when those things FINALLY got done (working around severe colic), I just accepted that there wasn't really anything except those basic needs that HAD to be done. I need to step up my game on getting out more with my toddler now (same, only child), but I don't beat myself up over home chores and such.

[SubliminalDarkness]

Honestly? I give in. I wish I didn't sometimes, because sometimes things really need to be done. But a lot of times, I just give up and plop down on the couch and toss a bag of carrots to the kids.