by Kellie Davis

Your cranky alarm wails at 6 a.m. as you leap from the bathroom over your husband to rip the plug out of the wall. You’ve been up for thirty minutes and plan to head to the kitchen for your second cup of coffee. A quick swoop of your hand up your calve reminds you that today is a ‘jeans day,’ and you have no time to wash your hair, so in a ball cap it goes.

Yep, it’s Saturday. Your schedule is packed with soccer games, birthday parties, and a visit to grandma’s condo so she can be assured that your kids haven’t forgotten her face. Then it’s home to cook dinner, and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s church bake sale-where you’ve once again been suckered into running a booth. Soon 11 p.m. rolls around and you can’t remember the last time you sat down.

Thoughts like, “There is not enough time in the day,” or, “If I just had two of me this would be easier,” often cross over a mom’s mind as she commits to the ever-endearing title of Super Mom. It is instinctual for a woman to want to be ubiquitous – to give her all and expect nothing in return.

Truth be told, there are only twenty-four hours in one day, honey, and you need some ‘me time’ in order to live a happy, fulfilling life. So, before you boost up on that seventh cup of coffee between drama club and golf practice, take this advice on how to cheat the ‘death’ of your energy:

• Don’t try to do too much at once, or you’ll get nothing done at all.

Prioritize your daily activities and leave those less important things at the bottom of the list. You can’t scrub your bathtub while shopping for a retirement present at the carwash when breakfast should be on the table. Make a list of the essential tasks and stick to it. If the car doesn’t get washed, but the kids are fed and the shopping is done, consider your day a success.

• De-clutter your brain.

Oftentimes, we become so overwhelmed with what needs to get done that we just shut down. Eliminating bad habits like watching Law and Order marathons or logging into your eleventh game of Bejeweled increases your ability to get things done. Downtime is necessary, but make sure that you use it as a reward for accomplishing your to-do list rather than a means of avoiding the list all together.

• Add the word ‘no’ to your vocabulary.

I would like to insert a term called “mom guilt” here. We all have it looming over us as we toss around in bed trying to fall asleep at night. Did I do enough in my day to satisfy everyone’s needs? However, trying to be everything to everyone is not what you signed up for, nor does anyone expect this of you. Well, other than you.

Using this word ‘no’ teaches others that prioritizing is important. It also allows you to fit in more of that crowned-jewel called ‘me time.’ So, next time Jimmy’s coach calls an emergency t-ball practice that interferes with your scheduled pedicure, be nice to your toes. They deserve it.

• Send out an S.O.S.

No one really enjoys watching you sweat, but they really haven’t seen you in any other form. Thus, it is probably a rare chance that anyone asks you if you need help. Don’t wait for them to come knockin’; pull out that assertiveness you keep tucked away inside (you know, how you assert yourself when someone cuts you off on the freeway). Grandma is perfectly capable of coming to soccer to see the kids, and your husband can guide his way through the grocer with a detailed list (maybe throw in a map of where everything is located).

• Don’t forget your daily down time.

This is when that new word ‘no’ comes in handy. Set time aside everyday just for you and let everyone know about it. Post a sign if needed. Let the kids know, “When Mom picks up her book, you need to find something quiet to do.”

Be consistent with what time you settle down to be alone in your thoughts. Is it before everyone gets up? Is it after dinner? Even fifteen minutes of downtime will re-energize you enough to make it through the rest of your day.

About Kellie

Kellie Davis is a graduate from Florida Gulf Coast University with a B.A. in English. She is now a freelance writer, contributor to the Olicious Life, and NPC figure competitor. She currently resides in Arizona with her husband and two young children.