BeHappyMum | 5-Minute Happiness Boosters For Mothers To “Get That Life Back” Feeling

Just had a baby? This might feel as a completely new life for you that brings new challenges and requires development of new skills. However, you often feel tired, dependant, out of control, exhausted and asking yourself “When will you get your life back?”

The real truth is that … life will never be the same again. Your child will always be around you or in your mind even when they are growing and becoming independent. On the other hand, your life has not stopped being yours, it just needs adjustments to become a new whole life where there is a place for your child and for yourself and the things that are important to you.

Therefore, we might need to learn how to organise our new life and make time for all of it.

You do not necessary have to leave your baby for 5 minutes to enjoy the things that make you happy.

If your baby just woke up, had his meal, got his nappies changed and then .. let’s go! Let’s share the things that make us happy with our little one.

Here are 13 happiness boosters that YOU CAN SQUEEZE IN 5 MINUTES. Hope they’ll cheer you up, bring this feeling that you get your life back and relieve mothering stress.

1. SING YOUR FAVOURITE TEEN SONG

Ok, your night sleep has been taken away with a newborn baby but no one can take your favourite music away from you. Right? Turn it on and sing (use karaoke?) or just start singing your favourite TEEN music. Sing it LOUD. You’ll see – your baby will enjoy and, hopefully will start kicking his legs in a bouncer.

Also singing lowers stress levels, it releases stored muscle tension and decreases the levels of a stress hormone called cortisol in your blood stream. [1]

2. Phone a friend in the middle of your daily routine

Not all your friends might be in the same life stage at his moment but even if they can’t share the same feelings of isolation that many new mothers have, they can definitely grant their cheerful friendly support!

You do not need to wait for your baby to fall asleep again to phone your friend. You can talk on a speakerphone while using your arms and hands to meet your baby’s needs.

Social exchanges change the activity in your brain which decreases stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and ups those calm and happy feelings. [2]

3. Dance every time when the music plays

Whether your baby is in the bouncer or enjoying a free play on the floor put your favourite radio station on to make your house more “interactive” and alive. And DANCE every time the music drives you on.

In case your little one disagrees to stay in the bouncer, take them in your arms and enjoy some dance together!

Dance is a perfect happiness booster and on top of that, it’s a brilliant exercise!

4. Make 5-min Superset* and exercise 2 groups of muscles

It is not easy to organise your new life in a way so that you can attend the gym on a regular basis. Science says that in the early months of motherhood the less intense exercises are better . So you don’t need a gym!

You will be able to find your active lifestyle routine with time. Meanwhile, you can tackle those body bits by easy exercises you can do on the floor while your baby is playing next to you or even crawling. Fitmama app offers workouts in Supersets* that work out 2 groups of muscles in 5 minutes and help burn fat. Try these workouts and feel stronger and happier. Yes, exercise is proven to be one of the anti-depressant method of treatment. [3]

5. Calm your mind and relax in 5 minutes

Feeling exhausted is so natural for the first years of parenting. All mothers feel tired and stressed but there are some who learn how to cope faster. And here is how.

If you do not have an opportunity to attend regular yoga classes (yoga is a proven way to release stress) then simply do a restorative pose for a few minutes. There are few yoga poses for you to try and see what works better for you. A good restorative pose is as good as a day nap.

If settling yourself into the pose seems too complicated, then just place your forehead on a solid support, close your eyes and breathe normally for a few minutes. It helps stabilise your mind flow, clear your thoughts, ease panic reactions and restore your mind and body for the rest of the day. Therefore, it helps diminish those mood drops and help you enjoy your new life!

Look out for more healthy habits that you can take off the yoga mat and use in your daily routine.

6. Enjoy ready-to-eat tasty snacks

Food is one of the most affordable happiness boosters that can cheer up the day. Yet unhealthy snacking can add some further challenges and health issues together with the unwanted weight gain.

Be prepared for your food cravings! Have avocado, nuts, seafood, veg and fruit in your shopping list and get inspired by these ideas for health snacking!

7. Enjoy Hot CHOCOLATE – just add hot water

It was the ancient Aztecs who said hot chocolate is ‘…a divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue.’ And it also stimulates the release of a host of chemicals in the body that promote well-being.

Proven. Relaxing. Antidepressant. Anti-stress. Treat.

Always have a ready-to-make hot chocolate mix handy in your kitchen. So add it to the list for your next time shopping.

8. Make your baby giggle and boost your mothering spirit!

Many mothers feel low during the first months of parenting as their baby does not give much chance to interact and support us with their energising smiles in our struggles and sleep deprivation. They are just too little, however, they’ll soon reveal this magical ability and give you back their contagious laugh.

Let’s do a trick. Let’s find those methods to make them giggle and make us happy at the same time. It boosts mothers’ confidence in a sec and provides a new drive to our motherhood spirit! Try any of these methods.

Isn’t your new life amazing? You are doing really great!

9. Get extra Energy for 5 minutes with a few stretches

Feeling low in energy in the middle of the day? You can take the next nap together with your baby. In case he just woke up and feel very energetic then you can do a few stretches right next to him and feel a new wave of energy flow in your body.

How will stretch help you get your life back? This is a little magic of self-care.

The more little things you are doing for yourself, the more you feel in control of your life and soon, your new life looks less frightening and more fulfilling!

10. Take a shower and wash that hair

We all know how early parenting changes our attitude to the simple things that were just a routine before we had a baby. A good shower is heaven.

Why not to take your little one into the bathroom (reasonable safety needed to be taken into account), enjoy your shower while he or she is in a bouncer?

Water works miracles with our body and mind. It reduces muscle tension, helps to reduce stress, improves blood circulation, boosts the immune system, clears up your thoughts and makes you look beautiful! [4]

11. Order your favourite delivery food – just give a ring

If it’s a rainy day or you are too low to leave the house with your baby, order your favourite food online. It will be delivered and definitely enjoyed with your baby being around. You can do the same trick in the evening when your partner is back home and you can enjoy your dinner.

This will definitely remind you of good old times and will bring this feeling that you get your life back.

12. Cheer yourself up with favourite Social Media posts

Social media has became a major part of our lives. We can be in touch with our friends, get the news (and gossip of course). However, they might make you depressed if you see how fulfilling your friend’s life is while you are all at home with your never-ending sleepless nights.

Change your newsfeed! Just subscribe to your favourite jokes’s Facebook pages or twitter accounts and enjoy anecdotes and funny posters any time you need cheering up. Create a separate group of those accounts (if we talk about twitter) and open it up every time you want to giggle and have fun!

13. Dress up at home and put on make up

Miracles can happen when you put on mascara and those heels! Miss the time when you went out looking glamorous? In case you do not have many occasions or girls nights out (this is just temporarily though) then make your “home-office outlook”.

Anything in your wardrobe that you never wear before or something of your favourite? Put it on! Today! Put on the slap, paint your nails and … enjoy yourself being fabulous!

Don’t worry if your clothes are still tight on you. Your body has created a new life! Take care of yourself, your body as well as your mind. With love and care to yourself, it will all come back to you with time. Focus on your present life, help yourself smoothly accept your new being and enjoy it to the full!

Isn’t it great to feel that you get your life back even if it’s just for 5 minutes? Your baby just woke up? So, what option would you pick RIGHT NOW, mother?