Super mom or super exhausted mom?

If you are looking for the definition of a super mom, look below. If you are a mother and fulfill more than three criteria below you are a super mom.

□ You have more than one child.
□ You work full time.
□ You are the entertainment planner.
□ You are the meal planner and chef.
□ You are the disciplining parent.
□ You are the paramedic for minor injuries.
□ You are the chauffer.
□ You are the homework checker.

Super moms are supposed to be good jugglers so we juggle a job, home, a child and a husband. Super moms are always on the go, so we drive our kids to soccer, ballet and museums. Super moms are known to be social, so we choose play dates on weekends instead of sleep. Sometimes I wonder, if we are secretly vying for the “super mom” label?  I do fit the description above but honestly, the more appropriate term for me would be “super exhausted mom”. I am certain most of you will agree.

A few months ago, I lay in bed at midnight making my mental list of things to do and tasks to accomplish for the next day. For a moment I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to be thoughtless?  How does one achieve a state of thoughtlessness? Does that feeling exist? Is that state of mind called Nirvana? Wow, that seems like a hard thing to achieve.

I woke up excited the next day and frantically searched for a meditation or yoga class in my neighborhood. The timings of the yoga and meditation class interfered with dinnertime for my daughter so I gave up on that. Again that night before sleeping I was making my mental list and at the same time wondering how to achieve this thoughtless state of mind.

If I have sparked some curiosity and made you slightly interested in the topic, I promise to get you on the other side. After failed attempts and different strategies to achieve this state of mind, I realized that I didn’t need to be in this thoughtless state of mind all day. In the real world where I live, it would not be possible to juggle work, home and a child if I was constantly in this thoughtless state of mind.

All I needed was 20 minutes of focusing on myself. I joined the gym and did some cardio for 20 minutes without staring at the television and without music. There are days when I can’t get to the gym, on those days I choose to do some simple stretches at home without any external stimulation. I have to admit those 20 minutes of not thinking of chores helps me recharge myself. Initially some chores/errands will seep in your head but you have to consciously try to block them for 20 minutes. Eventually you will get your full 20 minutes of nothing. When I was younger “nothing” was so boring but in my mommy role the idea of “nothing” is amazing!

Do anything you like; for starters you may choose to paint your nails, drink chamomile tea, apply a face pack or go for a walk around the block. I insist on doing any self-nourishing activity alone and the only disclaimer I have is to avoid external stimulation such as television or music. This is you your moment so don’t let the TV, iPod or anybody else dictate your thoughts. I am still not sure what is Nirvana but this is the closest I have come to “mommy nirvana”.

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