Mom, Breathe: Protecting Your Mental Health and Finding Peace Amid Chaos

When You're Drowning in To-Dos...

The house is a mess again. There is a pile of laundry in one corner, dishes in the sink, and your little ones wants your full attention--while your brain is running through 37 things you haven't done yet. Sounds familiar?

There are days when motherhood feels like a never-ending to-do list, and worst of all, there's hardly enough time left to actually enjoy being a mom. Ideally, we picture a mom that enjoys the company of their kids--all laughs and hugs. But in reality, there is not much time for those. We spend most of our days tending to their needs, feeding them (which is sometimes not that easy), cleaning up their mess that never ends. I know this feeling. I've lived it. And sometimes these unmanageable and unending tasks makes me dread being a mom. It's has been very tiring. You don't even have time to rest.

I surfed online and have found that while I can't stop the chaos, I can change how I move through it. Let me share with you ways that I have tried and I have been effective on me:

My Lifeline: Journaling Through the Overwhelm

One quiet morning--after days of feeling like I was suffocating--I grabbed a pen and wrote down one sentence. For me, given my busy schedule, this is the only writeup I can afford to create. This one-sentence entry opened the floodgates: I have finally found my outlet--journaling.

I did not control myself from writing. I have written nonsense in my journals. I have let all the words and the feelings out of my heart. I unloaded the burden. I just wrote, and let my hand be free, no holds barred.

It wasn't fancy. It wasn't poetic. But it was mine. I wrote about my frustrations, my fears, the guilt I felt for being tired, and even the silly things that annoyed me. Slowly, as the ink flowed, my thoughts untangled. My emotions made sense. I began to speak to myself with kindness--as if I were writing to a friend.

In journaling, while I unloaded the burden by converting it into words, my mind was made clear. I talk to myself like a friend. I have let it flow--no rules on grammar, no structure. Free.

Journaling became my space to feel seen, to reflect, and to breathe.

If you don't know how to start journaling, you may want to try these suggestions that helped me:

• Start with your day with 1-3 sentences answering, "How am I really?", "How am I now?", "What's bothering me at present?"

• Write as if you're comforting a dear friend.

• Don't edit. Let it pour. Don't mind your grammar. It doesn't need to be straight English. Let it flow, let your thoughts come out naturally without holding back.

Setting Boundaries for Peace

Protecting your mental health as a mom doesn't just mean taking bubble baths or going out for coffee--though those are awesome. Sometimes, it means making hard decisions.

I chose to step away from toxic relationships. People who constantly brought drama, negativity, or chaos into my life--no matter how close they once were--had to be placed at a distance. I realized that being with toxic people destroys my mental health. I am not comfortable in a chaos environment. Toxic people are those who constantly bring drama, issues, and negativities. Dealing with them is like walking on eggshells--one small move can destroy the peace that you are trying to protect.

This boundary wasn't out of hate or pride, but out of love--for myself, and for my family. Every time I say "no" to stress, I'm saying "yes" to peace at home. Remember that when you protect your and your family's peace, you are also protecting your health.

Small Practices that Help Me Breathe Again

Being a mother is a lot of times partnered with overwhelming tasks. As a person, we tend to try to finish them all because we are used to the idea that accomplishing a task is a form of success. The other way around, is a failure.

There were days that accomplishing all those to-dos seems to be impossible to fulfill. I got tired to feeling like a failure, so I decided to change my mindset. If you're overwhelmed too, here are a few small shifts that changed everything for me:

• I stopped aiming for "done"--I aim for progress.

  Not everything needs to be perfect. Clean enough is good enough. Breaking down tasks helped me to achieve my daily goals. I have accepted the fact that I cannot finish it all in a day. But finishing one step at a time is already an achievement. Slowly, I have felt good about myself.

• I build quiet moments into loud days.

  Even just 5-10 minutes of silence helps me reset. Sometimes I breathe. Sometimes I pray. Sometimes I just sit. I once in a while detach from the world and appreciate my surrounding with a calmer attitude. God has created a beautiful world--I breathe a clean, fresh air; I hear birds singing, leaves rustling; I had a chance to view the sunset once more. These quiet moments helped me feel refreshed and ready to start my day again.

• I remind myself: This moment won't last forever.

  Whether it's chaos or calm--it's all part of the motherhood journey. I'm learning to ride the waves instead of fighting them. Those pile of dishes in the sink? I have learned to be thankful because our home still have people that eat sumptuous meals. Those towering laundry clothes? I have appreciated them more because we are all still together in the same roof. These moments won't last forever--emptiness may come very soon. Because of this thinking, I have appreciated the "mess" more.

Faith Over Frustration

In moments of exhaustion, I lean into this truth: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart..."

When my understanding runs out, God's wisdom takes over. When I don't have strength, His grace sustains me. I don't need to figure it all out in a day.

You are not Failing

You're growing.

You're learning how to care for yourself while caring for everyone else. That's a skill no one teaches us--but you're figuring it out, one breath at a time.

You won't solve everything overnight. But with the right mindset, support, and God's guidance, you'll begin to see your struggles not as walls--but as bridges to a stronger, wiser you.

About the Author

Hi, I'm the voice behind the Wise Mama Life - a mom on a mission to make motherhood wiser, simpler, and more fulfilling. While I chose to keep my identify private to focus on the message rather than the messenger. Every story, tip, and insight shared here is based on real-life experiences, heartfelt reflections, and practical wisdom gathered through years of motherhood, homemaking, and personal growth.

At Wise Mama Life, you'll find honest conversations, thoughtful parenting tips, life lessons from everyday moments, and gentle guidance to help us thrive - not just survive - as a parent.

I believe wisdom is in the little things. Let's grow together.

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