So what keeps you sane? I’d really like to know how you mompreneurs keep an even keel. It’s tough enough to be that “super mom” but to load on a business on top – that in itself can be borderline insanity.
A few weeks ago, I launched my Straight-Talk Tuesdays series and asked women that very question. I had so much response to my 5 Questions Series that I thought I’d expand and create more opportunities to feature moms and their online businesses.
Here is what some of savvy moms said in response to my question, “What Keeps You Sane?”:
“The same thing that sometimes make me feel a little insane – my kids. When I start to overload or boil over, I just stop, take a breath and look at their innocent, little faces and realize that they are so fragile and that they are why we do it all!”
Beth Aldrich, Founder, ForHerInformation.com, @bethaldrich“The support from my husband with the business and the kids helps keep me sane. That and that I’m too tired to go insane!”
Barbara Schantz, President & CEO, Baby Dipper, LLC, @babydipper
For me, the very act of limiting the amount of work I do keeps me sane. I’m that type that can let it bleed into all hours of the day (and night) if I let it.
My husband and kids definitely bring me back to earth and remind me of what’s important in life. Working from home, it’s easy for work to bleed into family life. I noticed that the laptop was getting opened more and more during “off hours” when I really should be focused more on my kids. Admittedly, my biggest nightmare would be to have my 3-year-old show up from preschool with a drawing of her mother behind a laptop computer. I do want my children to see me as an actively working person, but I don’t want them to get the impression that that’s what I’m all about.
Here’s what else keeps me sane:
- Leaving the house during the day. It might seem kind of crazy, but I can become a bit of a hermit if I let myself do that.
- Seeing friends for lunch or coffee at least three or four times a week. It keeps me from feeling too isolated and it helps me accomplish the first point.
- Working at a nearby cafe or on my back deck.
- Connecting with people online. I find it so incredibly motivating to meet new people on Twitter and through my blog.
- Switching from “micro” tasks like formatting images and entering content, to big picture visioning that really drives my business ideas forward. It keeps me from getting too bogged down in the details.
- Listening to audio books, watching videos and generally learning new things.
- Sleep!
I would love to hear what everyone else does to keep themselves sane. Post your comment below!
If you’re interested in being quoted in a future Straight-Talk Tuesday post, check out the Straight-Talk Tuesday page. Have a look at the upcoming questions and send me your answers. Feel free to answer any or all of the questions!
Looking forward to hearing from you!!
Related Posts:
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Love this series. I just started blogging and it’s so easy to get completely wrapped up in all the computer time. Sometimes to unwind is simply as easy as closing the Twitter window and backing away!
Twitter, and its possibilities, have taken over my LIFE! Help!
Hey Heidi – I know exactly what you mean. It’s so difficult sometimes to shut that laptop and pause on that next tweet, but so incredibly critical to keeping your sanity!
With three boys ages 6 and under, life is a blur. A good blur, but I try and pull back on the reins as much as possible and spend time kicking around a soccer ball outside with the boys. Picnic dinners outside on our front lawn, chatting with neighbors passing by is also another great way I have found to relax and enjoy.
I have a group of moms that I hike with to keep my sanity. No matter when we schedule our hikes it seems that my workload is at its peak when it’s hiking time. I force myself to put on my hiking boots and step away from the computer even if I sometimes feel guilty leaving so much unfinished work. In the end I come back so refreshed that I get more work done than if I hadn’t taken a break. Definitely a sanity saver!
Annie, Tina – great comments! I’ll be moving to Vancouver in a few weeks and am definitely looking forward to getting back on those mountain trails.
CREATIVITY! I love designing for print and web aswell as non-work related creative endeavors such as sewing, cooking, and random art projects. I love having a problem to solve using creativity, whether it be a spot on a wall where I need a piece of artwork, planning a ridiculously fun/unique date, or needing a present for somebody and coming
up with something fantastic and adding my own stamp. I dig funky, unusual, and quirky, so the more it fits in these categories, the better.