Self Awareness - A myth of Motherhood?

The concept of self awareness for mothers is a big one, as it can often lead to a recognition of elements of our motherhood journey which frustrate us.

The way that these frustrations, and overwhelm, can impact our health are significant. This impact can be life changing. This is a conversation for another time.

So back to self-awareness.

This is defined as "Conscious knowledge of ones own character and feelings".

As a mum, this can be a tough one to get a handle on. Because having a conscious awareness about anything to do with our self can be terribly difficult. It can be difficult to think of anything outside of our little people bubble, outside of where we are at, where we should be, and that interminable to-do list in our head.

An ability to tap into a conscious knowledge of our feelings can easily be put to the bottom of the aforementioned to-do list, and thus, it never gets reached.

As mothers, we are so conditioned by society that we don't matter, that what we think and how we express ourselves is secondary to those we serve, that the importance of self-awareness is lost. 

But lets take a moment to reflect.

Let's have a look at what that self-awareness may bring to your world. According to Medina & Magnuson in 2009, mothers are someone who do the relational and logistical work of child rearing. It has also been defined by Forcey in 1994 as "a socially constructed set of activities and relationships involved in nurturing and caring for people". 

In both of these definitions, there is little space for the expression of the mother as their own person. The definition relates specifically to how they care for others, and the nurturing, not for themselves.

Yet bringing a conscious awareness to mothering, about your needs as well as those of who you are caring for is vital. But in the time poor world we live in, with all of the elements of busy thrown in, and how that is glorified, a self-awareness is more than likely not happening.

But what could it bring to you?

An awareness of your needs.

An awareness of where you need rest or support.

An awareness of your social requirements.

An awareness of your health requirements. 

An awareness of who you are as a person, as this will have changed as your brain and your self has in this journey of motherhood. 

An awareness of your conscious self - which may be really really different to what you thought you would think of yourself self as a mother.

This self-awareness brings its own journey. The fact that it is 99% different to what we thought it would be like... this is one of the great myths of motherhood. That the social construction of motherhood is standardised by external forces - society - means that our self awareness can at times be measured against an outside entity.

Yet the true version of self awareness is being able to view internally where we are at.

I'd love it if you could spend some time on your conscious self. Of who you are. Of what matters to you. Of what you may be hoping or dreaming of. Of the things which may light you up.

And if this is too much, just an awareness of a physical need. More sleep? More water? More movement? More food? Less food? 

I know you deserve to bring some of this self-awareness in, and that this journey alone can be life-changing.

With much Mama love

Dr Ali

Chiro, Mama, Lover of the future Mama living inside each of you!