How to Get out of the Cranky Mom Mood

If you are reading this you might think you’re an angry mom. You might be wondering how do I stop being an angry mom? Or how do I stop getting angry at my child? For me the anger starts with the cranky mom mood. I’m pissed off about something  (I may be 100% sure what that is or I have no idea what the heck I’m annoyed about) and things start to build up. I go from being mildly annoyed to full blown angry mom syndrome in like 10 seconds flat. Uhhhhhhh…yeah being a mom is hardcore, right? Here are a few tips I use to get out of the cranky mom mood so that I stop getting angry at my kids and cure the angry mom syndrome before it starts. 

HOW TO STOP BEING AN ANGRY MOM: START WITH YOURSELF

I probably judge myself too harshly but I feel like I used to be the angriest mom ever. I always felt mad, annoyed and like my family didn’t do anything right. Even when the kids and my husband cleaned I would pick out the mistakes they made instead of being grateful they helped at all. I was the “mean mom” and I had no idea how to stop getting angry at my child.

When I look back at those “mean mom” years I can see the problem so clearly: I didn’t make time for myself. I was stretched so freaking thin because I was so worried about people pleasing, helping everybody and their mother and I had no systems in place at home.

My life was hectic, chaotic and stressful and I let all that negativity seep into my parenting. It sucked. Big time. I very much regret the mother I used to be. But now knowing what I know, I am grateful for that experience (I will never go back to “mean mom” mode) because I learned so much from it!

What I do now is try to catch myself when I’m cranky so that I don’t progress into angry mom syndrome.

Here are 6 Easy ways to Get out of Cranky Mom Mode

Get Yourself Ready 

Looking good will make you feel good. Getting yourself ready: hair, makeup and a nice  (or comfy) outfit will do wonders for your mood!

Even if you work from home or you’re a stay-at-home mom, make time to get yourself ready for the day.

I aim to for getting ready daily with a quick makeup routine. If I have time for eyeshadow…yay! If not it’s no biggie. I do eyebrow pencil, mascara (my favorite is this one) and some bronzer. That’s it.

I’ve perfected the art of using a flat iron to straighten or curl my hair – so this step takes me about 15-20 minutes daily. If you don’t know how to use a flat iron to style your hair I highly recommend watching YouTube videos – that’s how I learned.

I know for some of us moms we may not be in a season of life where we want or can spend time getting ready. I know I’ve had many seasons in my life where I didn’t make time to put my best face forward. Let me tell you, it’s worth it getting ready daily. It’s worth it for my self-care, for my mental health and so that I love the reflection I see in the mirror daily.

Don’t Overthink Right Now 

When you are already in a cranky mom mood it is not the time to start thinking about everything that is bothering you about your kids, your house, your husband, your work.

This is what happens to me: I get into a generally cranky mood, I start thinking about everything that annoys me:

• I hate the walls (first of all, why do kids have to touch the walls and get them all dirty??? Why?!)
• My dog is annoying me and lays against the walls which equals more dirty walls
• I get irritated about projects around the house we haven’t completed
• I get annoyed about clutter and mess

And the list goes on and on.

My point is this: when you are in a cranky mom mood now is NOT the time to get mad about everything that isn’t done. Let it go.

Instead of letting all the annoyances and irritations pile up throw some self-care at yourself first!

Do Something That Makes You Happy 

Things that make me happy include working on my blogs, recording for the Love More Live Blessed Podcast, organizing, or binge watching a new show, (especially murder mysteries and documentaries) and reading.

What makes you happy? Is it going out and grabbing a coffee? Walking around your favorite store? Maybe you can call a friend that makes you happy or makes you laugh.

Take a Break from Social Media

Taking a break from social media is a must when you’re not in the best mood. When you are cranky you’re gonna play that comparison trap game and it’s going to make it worse because you’re gonna come across that Pinterest perfect mom or perfect Instagram mom and you’re just gonna compare, compare, compare and it’s not gonna be a good thing.

This is also not the time to talk to your real life friends who are always complaining, negative. If you’ve got a friend and it seems like she ALWAYS has issues – do yourself a favor and don’t answer her phone call when you’re in a bad mood.

Be Honest – Let Your Feelings Out 

The last time I was in a really bad mood, I was super honest with my husband. I told him how I felt overwhelmed and needed help and then I get help when I asked for it! Because my husband isn’t a mind reader, neither are my kids! Shocker, right? 😉

I’m honest with my kids too. (I don’t worry the kids with any problems.) So this is typically what I say when I’m in a bad mood, “I’m not in a good mood right now, this has nothing to do with you, I just need some time.” A lot of time this works and my older kids can understand how I feel and give me some space. This even works with my 5 year old (sometimes).

I find that being honest is better than letting all of my emotions pile up and then dealing with a melt down later.

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

This is the simplest tip. We’re always going to have times in our lives when things bother us, we’re cranky, the house is a mess, you have no clue what you’ll make for dinner, 1 kid is in trouble at school and another kid has to be picked up early from daycare and you still have to work and you still have to clean, cook and go to the gym.

Sounds overwhelming doesn’t it? The typical day in the life of a mom!

But don’t beat yourself up for being cranky, don’t ever beat yourself up for not being positive. Life happens in seasons and instead of wasting time worrying about the past, beating yourself up for how you acted think this instead:

What can you do to move forward now? What is the next best step that you can take? 

Don’t ever feel like you’re a failure because you had a day where you yelled. You’re not a failure. You’re a great mom!

Using these tips helps me feel better, get out of the cranky mood and helps me stop getting angry at my child. I promise these tips work if you put forth the effort!

You can listen to this episode on the podcast. For more episodes head over to the Love More Live Blessed Podcast. 

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