Confessions of a Lonely Mom

Do you ever feel lonely? I’m about to get really raw and vulnerable and I’m not even sure I want to hit “publish” on this post. But I’ve been thinking about all this for some time, and I feel the need to journal my feelings. And to be honest, I figured that if I was feeling this way, maybe there are other moms who are struggling with these emotions as well.

Momprenuer Confession time…

It’s lonely to be a mompreneur and do all.the.things. Most of the time, I’m juggling everything from parenting, mom and teacher group chats, and school activities to entrepreneurship, serving clients, leading a team, and running a household. I’m up around 5 a.m. every morning and I do not stop until I hit the bed at 10 or 11 p.m. And you know what? I’m exhausted. I’m mentally, emotionally and physically drained.

I want (need) to be able to stop working at a certain time and not continue plugging away late into the night and on weekends. I want to enjoy weekends with my family again — and maybe even find time to enjoy a TV show. The last series I remember watching and enjoying was House and that was several years ago — unless you count Disney’s Jessie or the Strawberry Shortcake cartoon, which I watched after my oldest daughter was born. I don’t even know what shows are playing these days.

I want to reach the point that everyone talks about where you work “smarter, not harder” and actually bring in a good income while finding that seemingly unattainable (insert unicorn pic here) work-life balance. Does that even exist? I love what I do and spearheading creative projects lights my fire, but I’m burned out.

I want friends. Real friends. Not just the ones you chat with at work or school events, but ones that I could hang out with, call when I need someone to talk to, and grab a cup of coffee with on a whim. I have a few dear friends, but our lives have taken us in different directions. Some have older kids and mine are still little because I started a family later in life. My bestie will always be my bestie and I don’t know what I’d do without her, but I yearn for more friendships and cherished girl time in my life. I lost my parents and grandparents years ago. Growing up I did not have siblings (I only have half-siblings from my father’s side), so not having close, like-minded girlfriends around creates a huge void in my life.

I want to exercise and focus on my health. I keep telling myself that I’m going to do this and then life happens, and I take care of everyone else but me. Somehow, I need to put myself first, lose weight and start feeling better about myself. I’m actively looking for an exercise buddy that wants this, too, so we can meet up and walk together or hit the gym.

I want to make a difference in peoples’ lives by becoming a better listener, smiling more and being there when they need someone. I want to teach my girls to be kind, caring and impact others in a positive way.

Filling my cup…

While there are some things I cannot change, there are others that only I can control. It’s up to me to make a difference. As they say, you can’t pour from an empty cup. I adore my girls more than anything in this world and I don’t want to give them any less of me — that’s a big reason why I became a mompreneur in the first place: To be able to spend more time with them and be there when they needed me. They are my biggest blessing. But in the process of building my business, I’ve lost sense of what my priorities are. In a way, I’ve lost a little bit of me.

So there you have it. I’m feeling lonely, sad, tired, and overworked. But I’m hopeful that admitting this will be the first step toward improving my life and filling my cup. I want to operate from a place of rest, not exhaustion. And I want my daughters to also enjoy that kind of life.

Any other mompreneurs or working moms feeling lonely too? How did you overcome this?