What? Yes you read that right. I am going to tell you how social media made me a better mom! Now I am not talking about the endless scrolling that used to consume hours of my day and took my attention away from my kids. Waking up each day with intention was a huge shift for me and it made me realize that fulfillment and achievement could exist inside of being a stay at home mom. Being a mom and staying home was my top priority in life, but that doesn’t mean that the shift from having a career where I felt achievements and measurable purpose to staying at home was easy. It wasn’t until I started feeding my creative soul again until I realized that having a space where I felt accountable was exactly what I needed to push me to wake up happier and in turn show up better for my kids.
Having a two-year-old and a newborn at home makes for long repetitive days and being stuck under a breastfeeding baby had me feeling stuck physically and creatively. I would find myself scrolling Instagram far too often looking for fulfillment that was never found. Following creative accounts that inspired me but then left me frustrated that I was not creating alongside them. I finally decided that I needed to stop scrolling and start doing. It was then when I decided to open my Instagram page @everydaygracedesigns where I would share my home, projects, and designs. It motivated me to get off the couch everyday and start creating again. The best part was I could do this all while still being a stay at home mom. This account was exactly what I needed!
Having this creative space gave me motivation to accomplish mundane tasks like cleaning, because it meant I could take beautiful pictures of my home to share. It made me be a better mom because through wanting to create content I was in turn doing out of the box things with my kids each and every week. Since finding this creative outlet my life has been affected positively. I no longer mindlessly scroll through my phone. I have a purpose and goals which has sparked new life in myself which is radiating outward. Having purpose in my day allows me to accomplish something that brings be fulfillment, and because this is achieved I am happy to give my full attention to my kids. I realized that I crave this feeling of accomplishment and once I am able to achieve it there is no need for me to keep searching for a source of fulfillment throughout the day.
So while the title of this post was a little misleading because it actually took me getting off my previous cycle of social media and making an account that motivated me to create again, the moral of this is that I filled a gap that was missing which in turn brought me so much joy. The saying “you can’t pour from an empty cup” is so appropriate in motherhood especially in the early years. Fueling yourself and finding a purpose to your days is so important and will allow you to give so much more to those you love. I encourage you to start that thing you have been dreaming about and don’t wait until your babies are older. Although you may feel that it will distract you from motherhood, I think you will be surprised that it will do the opposite.
xo
Lindsey