These ideas will ensure you flourish as a stay at home mom by cultivating good habits that lead to a more fulfilling life.
If you are wondering how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom, to thrive in motherhood requires living intentionally and mindfully crafting your hours and days to reflect your authentic self. Motherhood should be deeply satisfying and meaningful, but it’s easy to lose yourself in the busyness of being a mom only to find that you no longer recognise who you once were.
By ensuring you are present and intentional, you will feel more joy, connection, passion, enthusiasm and fulfilment.
Some of the critical essentials for how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom include good physical, mental, emotional and social health and cultivating positive lifestyle habits that support your wellbeing.
Ultimately we are defined by what we do every day, and our habits shape our lives.
Your habits reflect who you are and form a part of your unique identity. These are our top 45 ways to cultivate good habits and lead a more fulfilling life.
You can also review our list of stay at home mom apps for help with sleep, meditation, affirmations, gratitude, positive quotes, health, recipes, wellness and cultivating good habits every day.
How to Feel Fulfilled as Stay at Home Mom
1. Get Dressed
You don’t have to look amazing, but getting into day clothes every morning has excellent benefits for your mental health. I live in activewear, but I still shower in the morning before I change into my activewear, and it makes me feel human and like my day has started.
2. Morning a routine
Try to establish a morning routine consisting of getting up at the same time every day, brushing your hair, brushing your teeth, completing your skin routine, drinking a tall glass of water and getting dressed. If possible, run through your morning routine before attending to anything else; otherwise, complete it at your first available opportunity. That way, you will be mentally prepared to start the day.
3. General Routines
Another idea on how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom is to incorporate dinner, bed and cleaning routines. Implementing routines will ensure you manage your time effectively, set priorities and remain focused.
Routines will ensure you are intentional with your time, provide structure to your day and ensure you get your most important things done. Children also respond well to routines as it helps them feel safe, establishes expectations and builds healthy habits.
4. Be Intentional
One of the keys to experiencing more meaning and happiness in your life is to be intentional. Instead of starting your day on autopilot, mornings are the perfect time to focus on what you want, how you want to think and how you want to feel.
By intentionally deciding to be positive, happy and joyful, you will attract more abundance, fulfilment and peace into your life. You may also like to set an intention to pause and breathe before you react so that you can act deliberately throughout the day.
5. Make a To-do List
To-do lists are a must if you want to know how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom. Use a notepad and paper to set tasks and cross them off so you can give yourself credit for your accomplishments.
It’s easy to feel like you haven’t accomplished anything as a stay at home mom, but you have most likely done laundry, made beds, tidied up, prepped dinner, changed diapers, made bottles, cleaned the kitchen etc.
If you have these on your to-do list, you can reflect on your day and realise you have achieved a lot. You can also add the time you invest in your children to your list, such as free play, reading a story, or doing activities together.
Note:
- Be realistic with your to-do list.
- Don’t try to do too much or set unreasonable goals that are not attainable.
- Think about what you can realistically accomplish in a day and only put those on your list. If your list is unattainable, it will have the opposite effect you desire.
6. Rest
Sleep helps your mind and body recover from your day. Sleep is non-negotiable if you want to know how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom.
Without enough sleep, your body releases stress hormones that can cause you to react to situations rather than respond. So if you have had a tough night, don’t put pressure on yourself.
Sleep or rest when you can so you have enough energy to get through the day feeling happy.
7. Use an App
You can use an app such as productive to manage tasks and to-do lists. Productive is a daily planner and tracker that allows you to set personal goals and challenges. You can join in-app challenges, set smart reminders, and allocate time to jobs, which is great for challenging yourself to do the housework quickly.
Productive will also help you build new habits such as drinking more water or increasing your fruit and vegetable intake. Productive is just one app; however, there are many apps to choose from, so you can try a few to find the best one for your needs.
For more ideas on apps to streamline your life and boost happiness, you can read our article on the best apps for moms.
8. Set High Standards for Yourself
A further idea on how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom is to set high standards for yourself. When you set high standards for yourself and live up to those standards, you will increase your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Where possible, you can ask your partner for feedback on how you can be a better parent or partner to strive to do better. By taking pride in what you do and doing it well, you will feel more accomplishment and fulfilment.
9. Be Grateful
Studies have proven that gratitude increases our wellbeing in many ways encompassing physical, psychological, and social benefits. Dr Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough’s research found that people who kept a gratitude journal were 25% happier.
Being grateful is considered the most impactful intervention in positive psychology.
The one thing happier people all seem to have in common is gratitude.
Gratitude increases resilience and acts as an antidote to negative emotions such as anger, envy and resentment. You can download an app such as gratitude or note three things in the morning and three things in the evening you are grateful for today.
By focussing on the positive things you have in life, you will also act as an excellent role model to your children.
10. Bring the Joy
If you are looking for ideas on how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom, then watch a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Or look at the clouds and the stars, plant something or do some gardening, walk in the forest, beach, or up a mountain.
Build a fire and toast marshmallows, enjoy some sunshine or have a picnic in the park. Or take your children to jump in puddles or to climb a tree. Go for a swim or ride a bike. Pick a fresh bunch of flowers and bring them inside. Savour a lovely tea or coffee. Lie in a hammock.
Do what makes your heart sing.
11. Give
Research shows that happy people focus on the good in the world; they think about kindness and do kind things. Do one thing every day to give back, whether using a recyclable coffee cup, supporting a local business, leaving a tip, visiting a neighbour or donating some unwanted items to a local charity.
You can also include the children by finding an activity you can share, such as painting inspirational rocks and leaving them for others to see.
Note: Don’t add anything to rocks or stones (such as eyes), and permanently seal rocks, so your paint doesn’t run when it rains. Also, leave anything in a national park as it is.
12. Enjoy Your Children
The days may seem long, but the years fly by, and your child will never be this age again. Lose yourself in the joy of playing with your children – hold hands, pick flowers, dance, be silly, paint, read, and build lego.
If your children are older, play cards, board games, walk together or get involved with their passions. Another idea on how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom is to breathe in their smell, look into their eyes, smile, laugh, love and cuddle.
13. Screen Time
Have periods through the day when you give children your undivided attention. If you don’t need your phone for work or emergencies, try putting your phone away for an hour a couple of times a day.
Without your phone, you will find you have more time, build better relationships, live more mindfully and reconnect with yourself. You will also be much better placed to limit your children’s screen time.
14. Practise Mindfulness
Studies have shown that emotional regulation is a critical element of parenthood. By stepping away from multitasking, screens, and social media, you will increase your joy from life.
Being a busy mom can mean you are stuck in perpetual thinking. If the past or the future consumes you, it’s hard to stay present. Living more mindfully shifts your thoughts from their usual preoccupations toward an appreciation of the present moment and a greater perspective on life.
By learning to be more present, observing and paying attention, you will be able to savour the joys of parenting rather than racing from one task to the next.
For ideas on helping you to approach parenting with more compassion, gratitude and kindness, you can read our article on mindfulness for moms.
15. Find your tribe
Being a stay at home mom can be lonely and isolating. A recent study of new mothers reveals that those with a support system of other moms had lower stress levels, were more optimistic about parenting and had more energy.
So when you are looking for ideas on how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom, note that love and connection with others are pillars of a fulfilling life.
Having a group of judgement-free moms who can provide you with support, resources, mom tips, and information will save your sanity. You can find local mom groups through social media or ask your health care professional to refer you.
16. Community
Look for opportunities to be around other moms. If there are other children in the street, try to be outside more. Set up a lemonade stand, take a stroll or put a chair on the front lawn while your children play outside.
Go to the library, music classes, art classes or find a mommy and me class or playgroup. Once you start to attend activities or classes regularly, you will see faces become familiar, making it easier to strike up conversations.
17. Make Time for Self-Care
Take some time out to connect with yourself and do something you love. Focussing on your happiness seems contradictory to being a great mom. But if you prioritise yourself and your mental health, your ability to provide love and care for your children will increase.
We have some great ideas to inspire your mind, body and soul, so you feel beautiful again in our article on self-love for moms.
18. Media
If you wonder how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom, be wary of how much time you spend watching tv or on social media. Aside from taking up large chunks of your day, media can make you feel inadequate about yourself and your life.
Try to take a break from media and evaluate whether it’s serving you. If not, keep it to an absolute minimum. You may find that your productivity increases, relationships improve, you sleep better, and you feel less stressed without distractions.
19. Breathe
According to James Nestor, author of the best selling book Breath, how we inhale and exhale can positively impact our health. The benefits of breathing correctly include rejuvenating internal organs, eliminating snoring, asthma, autoimmune disease and increasing athletic performance.
Breathing is a gateway into the present moment and can reduce tension and anxiety, making us better parents.
Just five minutes of breathing exercises can relieve stress, increase energy and even curb hunger pangs! Breathing is easier than meditation as it doesn’t require you to still your mind. Instead, it lets your body do the work of bringing you into the present moment.
20. Meditation
The benefits of mediation are many, including combating the effects of overwhelm, stress and anxiety. Meditation also increases emotional well being, enhances self-awareness, lengthens attention span and improves sleep.
To see the benefits of meditation, you should practise meditating for five to ten minutes per day, most days for a month.
This 5-minute meditation has 12 million views on YouTube and can be done anywhere to get you started. Carpe diem.
21. Relax
Every day, take some time to do something that gets you out of your head and into the joy of living. The way we unwind and relax is different for everyone.
Whatever method you choose to relax, the goal is to turn off any internal dialogue and be completely present in the moment. Genuinely losing yourself in the moment will increase joy and positivity and remind you of how wonderful life is.
22. Affirmations
Affirmations are backed by science and are a proven method of rewiring the brain to form new clusters of positive thought neurons. These positive thought neurons act like exercises for the brain breaking patterns of negative thought and raising feel-good hormones.
Positivity has a profound impact on our decisions about ourselves and our lives. In this way, positive affirmations assist us in crafting a brighter, more positive future.
Visit our article, with 121 positive affirmations for moms here.
Or if you are about to give birth again, why not visit our positive birth affirmations here.
23. Positive Quotes
Quotes are an excellent way to learn, feel inspired, gain wisdom and find support. Reading something inspiring can provide a pick-me-up on days when you feel exhausted and overwhelmed.
A positive quote can energise you when looking for inspiration, prompting you to take action. Positive words also help you look on the bright side of life, giving you hope for a better future. Reading inspiring words will energise and uplift you.
You can find a list of 245 positive quotes here.
24. Read
Reading reduces stress and improves your memory and focus. If you are not usually a reader, why not challenge yourself to read something inspiring and uplifting for 20 minutes every day.
Reading books can help with many areas of life, including increasing self-confidence, positivity, gratitude and improving relationships. Books are excellent references we can keep referring back to as we journey on our parenting path, self-discovery and self-love.
These fantastic resources teach vital techniques and provide helpful advice for looking after yourself spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Books can help us accomplish our goals faster and increase our feelings of joy and abundance.
If you are looking for ideas on what to read, you can find a list of self-help books for moms here.
25. Eat Well
What we eat and how we feel are linked in very complex ways. A healthy approach to eating is centred on savouring flavour, eating for satisfaction, and increasing energy, rather than focusing on weight.
Eating well will ensure you have the nourishment needed to keep up with your family and the demands of parenting. Pay attention to the nutritional value of the foods you choose to eat and your sense of satisfaction, relaxation, tension, exhilaration, and fatigue when you are eating.
26. Think Positive
It sounds like a cliché but thinking positively has many benefits, including reducing stress and improving health. Due to our negative bias, becoming an optimist takes time and practice, but the process is straightforward.
Harnessing the power of positivity can have a tremendous impact on your life. Thinking positively will make problems seem more manageable and help you approach hardships more positively and productively.
Ways you can become more positive include focussing on the good, opening yourself up to humour, spending time with positive people, practising positive self-talk and starting each day on a positive note.
Some ideas on how to start your day on a positive note include telling yourself it will be a great day, doing positive affirmations, listening to happy songs or funny podcasts, or doing something nice for someone.
27. Move
I used to take my children walking and jogging in the stroller when they were babies and toddlers. There were days when I didn’t want to stop because I knew they would start crying if I did. It was perfect for my fitness!
It is much harder to enjoy life if you are not feeling healthy. Good health allows you to engage with life at an optimal level.
Whatever exercise you decide to do, try to make time to move your body for thirty minutes every day. Whether it be taking a walk, a class, going for a run, riding your bike, kicking a ball with the children or working in the garden.
Or why not pump up the music and have a dance party. Exercise and good health will ensure you feel more positive, energetic and have higher levels of self-esteem.
28. Hobbies
Hobbies are a great way to ensure you carve out time for yourself. Some hobbies keep you productive and instil a sense of purpose while having fun. Other hobbies allow you to practise mindfulness, taking you away from stressful thoughts as you focus on what you enjoy.
And if your hobby is a physical one, it can help keep you in shape. Hobbies enrich your life and allow you to spend time on activities you love, just for you.
Increasing your happiness and satisfaction in life through hobbies is a beautiful thing for stay at home moms who spend the majority of their time focusing on children.
29. Ask for Help
Reaching out for help doesn’t make you a bad mom; it makes you a good mom to recognise you need help and ask for it. Many moms think that bringing children into the world means they are your responsibility but asking for help is better than getting to the point of burnout.
So, if you feel like you need a break, reach out to friends, family or your health care professional. And your children will have a better mom for not being so bedraggled. I would happily be there for another mom who needed help, and I would be honoured if they asked me for assistance.
30. Clean Regularly
Living in a clean and tidy home is good for your mental health so keep on top of the housework by tackling one chore per day. When children are young, it can help to prioritise laundry, kitchen and tidying.
Try to make cleaning fun by putting on music, talking to friends, listening to an audiobook or getting the children involved. You can also turn your house cleaning into a workout. Pump up the music, track your steps and burn some calories.
31. Get Organised
Another idea around how to feel fulfilled as a stay at home mom is to get organised. Clutter can cause stress, zap energy and make cleaning harder.
Having less stuff to clean and organise will make your life easier and more manageable. If you cannot part with your “stuff”, box it up and put it somewhere out of view. If you don’t use it within twelve months, don’t reopen the box; throw it away. Anything you get out in the twelve months may be worth keeping.
It’s therapeutic to declutter and gives you a feeling of lightness coupled with a new lease on life. You will feel more relaxed and find cleaning is a breeze when everything has a place.
32. Give Yourself Credit
Every day will not be perfect, but focussing on less self-criticism and more self-acceptance will create a more optimistic outlook. Recognise your daily wins and what went well.
Try to focus on the great things, however small – a cuddle, a smile, sunshine or coffee.
There are days when having a shower or washing your hair is a win. No matter how big or small, congratulate yourself. Celebrate yourself. You deserve credit for showing up and continuing to put one foot in front of the other.
33. Learn
The great thing about motherhood is that every day is a new day to start fresh. If we can attempt to improve ourselves even the slightest bit each day, we will be infinitely better at the end of a year.
If you feel like you have not managed a situation well, use the opportunity to learn and do better next time. Parenting can be challenging, frustrating, and exhausting, but having a solution-focused attitude will make you feel optimistic about difficult situations as you recognise them as learning opportunities.
34. Journaling
Journaling can be therapeutic and only takes ten minutes. Keeping a journal is an evidence-based practice that can enhance mental health, emotional wellbeing, and relationships.
Journaling can help you understand yourself better to live authentically, examining yourself and your deepest desires. Knowing yourself intimately will help you make decisions congruent with who you are and what you want in life.
35. Know Your Values
If you want to know how to be fulfilled as a stay at home mom, it’s essential to know yourself. Our values are central to who we are and who we want to be.
When you clarify your values and consciously hold them as your GPS, your life is usually good – you will feel satisfied and content. On the flip side, if you do things that are not aligned with your values, it can become a source of great unhappiness.
Understanding your life’s priorities and where you want to invest your time and energy will help you make decisions that will make you happy. You can start by taking a values test here.
36. Create a Vision
Your vision serves as the guiding light in your life and will ensure you get up in the morning with purpose. This vision is the big picture you are working proactively to create.
By making decisions about your life with your vision in mind, you set the foundation for fulfilment. Your vision is your roadmap and the general direction to help you narrow down your choices based on what you want for yourself and your family.
Having a vision can ignite your enthusiasm for life and let you channel your efforts towards specific endeavours. It will help you develop a more profound idea about what will make you happy while projecting you toward your happy future.
37. Embrace Challenges
As you journey through motherhood, every stage will bring new challenges. Challenges offer opportunities to learn and grow and can teach us new things. If we allow them to, challenges can enhance relationships and increase enjoyment in life.
As parents, these challenges call for problem-solving and creative thinking; sometimes, they require us to integrate new people or activities into our lives. Facing challenges with strength and grace will ensure you enjoy motherhood’s good and more challenging parts.
38. Love Your Amazing Body
It can be challenging to enjoy your post-baby body but not loving it is super depressing. So take charge of your negative thinking and love your post-baby body for all it has given you and continues to give you.
Your stretch marks remind you that you have carried and grown a tiny human, your breasts have nourished a child, and your arms have held your baby.
Your body has performed a miracle, and to your babies, you are perfect. Embrace the changes in your body and work on building a positive self-image.
We have included body affirmations in our list of positive affirmations here.
39. Quiet Time
I could not have survived my journey with twins without quiet time. After my babies dropped their afternoon nap, I would still put them in their beds for a few hours of quiet time, which was ‘mummy needs a rest time’. This afternoon break was crucial to my survival.
40. Encourage Independent Play
Independent play helps to develop your child’s problem-solving skills, encourages creativity, and increases their self-confidence. It also saves your sanity and ensures you can parent from a centred place.
Start encouraging independent play from a young age, ideally at the same time every day, such as when you are prepping dinner. By incorporating this time into your routine, your child will start to understand what is expected of them.
41. Don’t Compare
Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone has a different life journey, and comparison is usually the foundation of unhappiness.
Every mom has their struggles and bad days, no matter how it looks on social media or from the outside. When we compare our lives to others, we are not investing in our happiness.
So instead of comparing, invest time in yourself and do something you love. Be too happy to care what anyone else is doing.
42. Accept Others
It’s easy for us to impose our worldview on those around us, especially as a parent. Every family has their opinion on how to raise children, and we are all doing things differently, even if the differences are marginal.
No matter how different others are, there is always something positive to focus on. So rather than view others from a critical lens, try to find the good.
Next time you have a judgemental thought, try to understand where the other person might be coming from and focus on their strengths. Letting go of the need to judge will lighten your heart and help you foster deeper connections with those around you.
43. Do You
Every family is unique, so don’t feel you need to parent any other way except the way that feels true to you and congruent with your values and who you are. As a mom, you know what is best for you and your family, so don’t worry about pleasing anyone else.
As moms, we are offered so much advice, but trust your instincts and believe in your inner wisdom. Providing you come from a place of love, you are doing the right thing.
And there is no ‘right way; it’s all trial and error and finding what works for you, your family and your situation. In the end, the right way is your way.
44. Forgive
Forgiveness is not just how to feel fulfilled as a mom but also as a person. Being a forgiving person is good for your heart. Forgiveness also has positive effects on mental health, spiritual growth and empowerment.
When you forgive someone, you permit yourself to let go of past hurt and anger. Forgiveness is not about the other person. It’s about freedom for yourself.
Forgiving allows you to heal and move forward as you are no longer tethered to the pain of the offence or the person who offended. Forgiveness allows you to move toward a more positive future.
Forgiving your children and letting of their mistakes is also a great way to build trust in your relationship. Once something has happened and you have discussed it, forgive them and move on.
45. Regrets
It’s okay to make mistakes as you journey through motherhood. Life is a learning curve, and looking back can offer insight and perspective.
Regrets can teach us a great deal but don’t get caught up in them. Obsessing over past actions or things we feel bad about can rob us of the joy we can feel in the here and now.
Take the lesson and look to the future and brighter horizons in a climate of gentle self-acceptance.
If you or someone you know is considering whether to be a stay at home mom, you can visit our article, which considers all the pros, cons and reasons to be a Stay at Home Mom.
Living a meaningful and fulfilling life centres around becoming the best version of ourselves. Thinking positively about the future will ensure you feel more energised, focussed and optimistic.
It’s never too late to craft the life you want. If you are interested in finding purpose as a mom, visit our article here for 12 enlightening ideas. Although this article is targeted toward a stay at home moms, there are excellent takeaways for all moms. These twelve ideas will ensure you fill your days with meaningful tasks that ignite your passion, build self-confidence and power up your energy.
Every day, you have the power to show up as a better mother and work toward building a life that you love. In answer to the question, how to live a fulfilled life as a stay at home mom? You have everything within you to create a life complete with happiness, abundance, and fulfilment.
These 45 ideas will ensure you flourish as a stay at home mom by cultivating excellent habits that lead to a more fulfilling life.
