How to stop feeling guilty as a working mama?

Phoenix, my 5 year old daughter, asked me the other day….

“Mama, why do you have to work all the time?”

Instantly, I felt a pang guilt.

I thought I was spending good quality time with her because she was there with me, but my head was buried in the continuous treatment plans, job descriptions and onboarding manuals I had to have finished before my new hires came on board.

She caught me out.

And so, I set everything aside.

I lowered down to her level, looked her in the eyes with full presence and said, “ok baby girl, you have got mama’s full presence now… what would you like to do?”

She wanted to play picnics and restaurants of course.

So, here’s what I realised.

We feel guilty as mamas, not because we have to work (“all the time”).

But because we let the ‘work’ infiltrate into non-work time.

Time without family, our children.

Time with ourselves.

We create continuing worries in our minds about the catastrophes that eventuate if we don’t hit our goals and deadlines -

mental stories that probably will never come true anyhow 

and let them seep into our off work time.

Ruin our time with our loved ones.

So, how do you overcome this guilt?

Get super intentional.

Work time is work time.  

Set yourself up to succeed during work time. Stay focused - 

and know that the big WHY is the time you get to spend in full PRESENCE with your children.

Or your loved ones.

And when you’re with your children or your partner or your SELF, then you can be fully present to that.

Otherwise GUILT is just wasted energy.

Robbing you of your ability to feel alive and worthy of having amazing experiences.

Remember that your kids need your PRESENCE, not just presents.

Better to be short and consistently present time, than long distracted times.

It’s time to let go of the GUILT.

Do it for you first.

Love,

Fern

xx

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