5 Ways to Beat Mommy Brain

I was watching a rerun of The Middle this week that made me laugh and empathize at the same time. The mother, Frankie, was constantly forgetting things, misplacing things and was feeling completely overwhelmed. She came to the conclusion that it was her family’s fault. They were constantly pushing their needs and wants into her brain. This forced her thoughts out. She could not remember things that pertained to her. It made sense. Even before N’s arrival at the beginning of July, I felt scattered. There were so many things that I needed to do, wanted to do and yet the items that I forgot seemed to surpass the things I would remember. I was focused on the needs and wants of those around me to the point that I did not feel I was being successful in any arena of life.



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I’m not saying we should neglect the needs and wants of others by any means. Hello, I’m a mom and wife. It’s my job and heart’s desire to meet the needs of my family. I simply think there is a way to find a balance that helps everyone. In the episode, Frankie tried to solve her problem by holding “office hours”. It was only during these hours that she would address her household’s issues. For instance, if her daughter needed an appointment changed, it was at this time that she could speak to her mom and have the date moved on the calendar. If her son needed a ride later in the week, he could make his request at this time. This system worked for a short period of time but then fizzled out as pressing matters arose and weren’t being addressed. In theory, it was a beautiful system. She was remembering things and her home was returning to order…until they just weren’t anymore.

I’ve tried to focus on ways  that I could benefit all of us and maintain a sense of sanity and order. I’ll be returning to work in a few weeks and I want the transition to be as smooth as possible. So…here are 5 simple ways I've chosen to help me combat Mommy Brain.

1. A family calendar. Our family calendar is hung in the kitchen for all to see. Anyone who has anything coming up must write it on the calender. This ensures that others are aware of what is going on and it helps with scheduling.

2. A night stand notepad. I got this idea from a friend. If I wake at night, whether because I can’t sleep or because the baby is needing to be changed or fed, I can jot down ideas that come to mind. It may be something that needs to be on the grocery list or an activity I need to plan for. By writing it down I can reassure myself that I’ll have it for later.

3. Monthly menu. I make a monthly menu that hangs on our refrigerator. This takes the stress out of planning what is for dinner on any given night and because I shop at the beginning of the month (with the exception of replacing perishables), we have everything we need for every meal. You can read about how I make my monthly menu here.

4. Sticky notes. During the school year I live by sticky notes. I write just about everything down on them. They allow me to make my notes portable. I can also stick the notes in plain sight. That allows me to better remember what I need to do.

5. Relying on others. Both at work and at home it helps to ask others to help me remember things. Having an extra person to help keep me on track has been a sanity saver more than once.

I know a lot of people use their phone and other electronic devices to keep track of things. I do put dates on my phone’s calendar but I rarely rely on it to keep me on track. What other ways you save your sanity?

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