So often as mothers, it feels like we’ve got the entire family on our back and we are teetering across a balance beam, trying to balance the load, struggling not to fall. If mama goes down, everybody goes down.

If mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.

Why is this true?

Because we are the centerpiece, the linchpin, and the hub of our families. Whether we leave the house and work all day or we stay home—and work all day— we are still the center of it all.

This happens even in homes where there are two parents and both attempt to carry the load equally. In the end, mom carries the bulk of the household load.

This balance of power, at least in my family, is probably not going to change anytime soon.

But I am planning to make some changes—for myself. Because my mental, physical, and emotional health impact my family—there’s no question about it.

Here are three personal adjustments I want to make this year:

1. Finding Time for Self-Care – Whether it’s diffusing lavender oil during my personal time, sitting in a corner to read a book, getting my nails done, or just chilling at IKEA by myself (does anybody else do this?), self-care is essential. Ignoring it, or going too long without it, hurts me and my family.
2. Reducing my Time on Social Media – The more time I spend looking at someone else’s family, friends, and life events is less time I can spend cuddling with, reflecting on, and planning events for my own family. I want to spend a larger chunk of my time connecting with people I actually know and engage with regularly. 
3. Taking Care of my Spiritual Needs – Nothing works if I haven’t tended to my personal relationship with my Creator. Daily Bible reading, studying events and people in the scriptures, and taking time to draw personal lesson from these accounts keeps me grounded, spiritually fed, and capable to take on anything with God’s help.

Life is a balancing act of sorts. And being responsible for two little blessings means I need to get this right—and make it across that beam with all of us in one piece.

What are your personal goals for 2018? What adjustments are you planning to make to reach your goals?