When you are stuck in a real life game
There you are, trapped inside a room surrounded by four walls. Clues are scattered around everywhere for you to solve and unlock yourself from what may feel like you’ve been stuck for an eternity. A baby’s crying, a toddler is showering his head with toys and a preteen is oblivious to the chaos that surrounds her all while complaining that nobody understands her. Besides the couch lies a dirty diaper that was supposed to be thrown out a few hours ago, but you haven’t managed to detach yourself from the fifth breastfeeding session you’ve had in the day. Then suddenly your mind goes into a matrix-like mode and you pan across the area imagining you are somewhere else, somewhere quiet, relaxing and you’re getting a massage!
Raise your hand, who’s been there? 🙋♀️ We bet many of us have been trapped inside that escape room or other another. The feeling of exhaustion, not knowing what to do next, and wanting to run away may haunt us at some point in our motherhood. Not many people talk about it, yet many feel overwhelmed by everything that comes along with the responsibilities of being a mother.
So, how do we avoid this feeling? We think the feeling is normal, but how we act upon it is what allows us to really unlock ourselves from that escape room.
Steps to discover, solve & win at wombanhood
When you signed up for this role you were in many cases painted with a cute belly, flutter kicks, a super creative baby gender reveal, an amazing baby shower, newborn clothes to fill a wardrobe, and many more goodies. What you probably didn’t sign up for were the sleepless nights, the crying baby language you need to master as of day one, the showerless days, and many more amenities that are associated with this position.
Does this mean we are implying that you should not embark on this journey? Absolutely not! Don’t get us wrong, motherhood, or as we like to call it wombanhood is one of the most rewarding experiences any womban can live. We just need to learn what to really expect and most importantly how to feel successful with all that we do.
Just like Madonna said, “express yourself.” Ok, this song is about something else, but you can take away specific phrases to get you pumped up about getting out of the escape room. What we’re getting at is that you need to talk, talk and talk more about your feelings. Don’t keep them inside, otherwise, you’ll end up stuck in your escape room and implode.
And, we certainly don’t want that for you. So, talk to someone you trust about all the things that worry or bother you during this period. Sometimes we need another perspective on things to see the bigger picture. Set aside precious time for yourself. Womban, this is very important!
You need to plan and execute real-time just for you. This means, leave the dishes where they’re at, don’t fold the clothes–well, ok, fold some of the clothes so the pile doesn’t keep adding up–and get yourself some “me time.” You need to reconnect with yourself and the only way to do it is to come back to you. Do things that nourish your mind, body, and soul.
If you ever run into a scene like the one we described above, then resort to “the bathroom effect.” That’s when you need to run straight to the bathroom to:
- Cry
- Dose off
- 💩
- Eat chocolate/candy
- Just stare at yourself through the mirror
- Breath in, breath out
- Anything you feel like doing
This is a quick fix that has helped many to survive the most challenging things. For some reason, a toilet seat and a locked door have magical recuperating effects, even if they last for a few seconds. But it’s those seconds we need to come back to ourselves, plus they are cumulative! So, if you can’t reserve a whole day for yourself, then micro-moments will still nourish your soul.
What’s your go-to for reconnecting with yourself and getting out of the escape room? Share your comments or thoughts. We’d love to learn from your experience.
