I realized I had a problem when I started using meditation as an opportunity to multitask. Encouraged by friends who rave about apps like Calm and Headspace, I decided to jump on the meditation bandwagon during the chaotic year of 2020, hoping it would help me find the “center” I had lost amid laundry piles, dishes, constant tech support requests from my kids, my own work commitments, and the persistent reminders from our cat that his food bowl was empty once again. However, as a soothing British voice guided me to breathe and let my thoughts drift, I found myself planning dinner, pondering which Netflix series to binge-watch next, and listening for any signs of conflict or injury from the kids in the next room. By the time the meditation was over, I had checked “Meditate” off my mental to-do list but felt no more centered than before.
It’s a tired stereotype that mothers are perpetually exhausted, and I was, in fact, always fatigued. Sometimes I was tired and happy, sometimes tired and stressed, occasionally tired and angry—but tired was the consistent theme. When you have an infant, you can attribute weariness to a genuine lack of sleep, but my children are now dependable sleepers, out of diapers, and capable of handling numerous daily tasks independently. My fatigue at the end of each day didn’t add up considering their age.
Then it dawned on me: perhaps my constant tiredness was due to my habit of multitasking. Most of the time, my body was engaged in one activity while my mind was off tackling another. Even when I was doing something straightforward, like checking emails, I was rapidly shifting between work messages, school notifications, persistent political organizations, and more. It’s no wonder I was drained by 6 PM.
So, I decided to make a change and rediscovered the concept of “single-tasking.” This involves selecting one task and focusing solely on that until it’s complete; you might recall it from your pre-kids life. When I sat down to tackle work emails, I opened only those messages and temporarily ignored everything else. Equally important, when I spent time with my kids, I aimed to be fully present rather than thinking about what needed to be done next.
Of course, as a parent, it’s not feasible to single-task all the time or even most of the time. Many of my efforts get interrupted. But each time I manage to do it, I find the tasks are completed more quickly and often with better results since I’m devoting my full attention. When that “task” is quality time with my family, we all feel happier and more relaxed by focusing solely on each other. Physically, I also feel less fatigued. While the tiredness hasn’t vanished entirely, for my mind, single-tasking acts like a power nap.
Sometimes we moms wear our multitasking abilities like a badge of honor, as the female brain is indeed a formidable force. However, there’s a fine line between effective multitasking and pushing ourselves to the brink of burnout. I came dangerously close to that line this past year, but I’m making progress, one step—and one task—at a time.
Related Resources
For additional insights on parenting and home insemination, check out this related blog post, where you can find more tips and resources. If you are interested in enhancing your journey to motherhood, consider exploring fertility supplements that can aid in your efforts. Also, for a comprehensive look at what to expect with home insemination, this guide on IUI treatments is an excellent resource.
Summary
In this article, Jamie Carter reflects on her constant fatigue as a mother and discovers that her multitasking habits were contributing to her exhaustion. By embracing “single-tasking,” she learns to focus on one task at a time, whether it’s work emails or quality time with her family. This shift not only helps her complete tasks more efficiently but also reduces her overall tiredness. The piece emphasizes the importance of mindful parenting and presents related resources for those interested in home insemination and fertility enhancement.
Keyphrase: single-tasking for moms
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