Moms know that “mom” brain is….that time of the morning when you are rushing to get your kids around to school and you leave the house without even thinking of yourself.  Your hair is awry, you may or may not still be in your pajamas and low and behold, at times you may have even looked down at your feet and realized that you were wearing two completely different shoes.   It happens, and has happened to me on more than one occasion.  .  Welcome, to what I like to call, “Mom” brain.  Don’t think of it as a bad thing…think of it as a “you care deeply for your children and your family and making certain that they are polished and put-together that sometimes you forget about you” thing.  See, “mom” brain is the by-product of love.  Many moms suffer from this, it’s not uncommon.  There are ways to get that brain back on track!  Here are some tips on how to refocus your “mom” brain.

1.  Take time in the morning for you.  The days may be gone from being able to spend hours on your hair and make-up, but it is still important to find time to make certain that you are ready for the day ahead.  For us working mother, I recommend setting your alarm clock about 30 minutes ahead of your normal wake up time so that you have time to do what you need to do before the kids wake up.  If you are a stay at home mommy, just explain to your kids that you need time in the AM to get ready for their day, just like they have their time.  Decide the night before on what you’d like to wear and how you’d like to have your hair fixed, and then make a game plan for it to happen.  It’s amazing how refreshed and on-track one can feel just by giving themselves a little make-over at home.
2. Take some breaks throughout the day.  Mom’s shouldn’t have to just run on food, coffee, and minimum sleep.  Make certain that you are resting your body, and your mind, at different intervals throughout the day.  It’s a good way to recharge and refocus, even if it’s only for a few moments at a time.  Grab a book during that time, or spend your time scrolling through FaceBook if you want…it’s your break, recharge how you want to.  I really enjoy my time before work and on lunch because this is truly “me time”.  I can run my errands, work on my blog, hop on facebook or just play a game on my phone.
3. Relate to other moms.  Trust me, you aren’t the only mom that feels like the world is in chaos mode at times.  Other moms are in the same boat as well, just sometimes…nobody talks about it.  Try having one of those conversations with another mom.  Relate to them!  Share stories, ideas, and suggestions.  Think of it as an innovative think-tank session between yourself and your mom-friends.  Talk about things that work for your children in the home, and things that don’t work.  Learn from one another to help each other out.
4. Roll with the day.  Sometimes, we sabotage ourselves.  As a mom, we feel the need to plan and be prepared..but, then what that plans changes or it falls through the cracks…our whole world can feel off balance.  Allow yourself to roll with the events of the day that may change.  Don’t stress yourself over items out of your control and try not to be so hard on yourself when all of those “to-do’s” on your list don’t get done.  They will be waiting for you the next day, and the next day…so, allow yourself, and your brain, to rest.
5. On the weekends, I let my kids play in the living room and it usually ends up pretty trashed by the time they are done, but it allows me the opportunity to relax on the couch while supervising their activity. The baby loves to have her freedom to try on shoes, play with toys and empty the laundry baskets, so I just let her. It’s all things that can be easily picked up before and after they go to bed.  
6. Hire a babysitter or network with other moms to form a “mommys day out group” so that you can have a couple of hours to yourself whether it is to go to the salon, go shopping, or have a date night.   I think it is essential that we don’t box ourselves into being “just a mom” because we are so much more.
7. Understand the root cause of your “mom” brain.  “Mom” brain is due to the love we have for our children, and that is an amazing gift.  The sooner us moms can truly understand that the sooner we will be able to relax our minds, our thoughts and our opinions of ourselves and how we think we should look, act and function.

At times, “mom” brain can feel quite frustrating.  Forgetting things, not being able to say the word “no” one more time, feeling as though your mind is being pulled in all different directions…it happens.  Embrace your “mom” brain and all of the quirkiness that may happen because of it.  While the above suggestions may help in refocusing and rebooting, keep in mind that you can also have fun and fully open your mind to embrace that quality as well.  Finding a way to do both could be a nice middle ground to give a try.  By taking some time for you, and still enjoying every unpredictable day of being a mom, you may be able to find that happy middle ground that you’ve been searching for.