It can be so easy to lose our identity in motherhood. Maybe you have forgotten who you are aside from being a mother and are trying to figure it out. Today I want to help you navigate your identity and rediscover that you are so much more than a mother.
Discovering Your Identity In Motherhood
I spoke with Elisabeth Emmerich about navigating our identity in motherhood. Elisabeth is a mom of three boys ages nine, seven, and four. She lives in Minnesota and is a licensed professional clinical counselor and a registered play therapist. If you are unsure what a play therapist is, it is someone who has gone through extensive training to treat children in their developmental stage through play. It can often be difficult for children to communicate logically so play is their language and how they express their emotions.
When Elisabeth started her practice and started her family she felt this overwhelming need to be home. As mothers we don’t want to miss anything. But we also work really hard for our careers so we don’t want to just stop working. Sometimes we just need space to talk it out and have that time where we are filling up our own cups.
Elisabeth has learned that every woman’s experience in discovering their identity in motherhood is going to be completely different. But how much stress society puts on moms and the constant comparison on social media are two big struggles that she often talks with women about. And we try so hard that we finally reach a point of exhaustion.
Things To Remember
Elisabeth gives us a good reminder that we need to focus on who God created us to be, what our own experiences are, and what talents God has given to us. And how can we use that and use our time intentionally?
Boundaries are also very important when navigating our identity in motherhood. Boundaries really give us the freedom to enjoy life, especially as a mother. We’re trying to balance everything and do everything that we have to make priorities. And those will look different for mothers in different seasons of life. So identify your priorities and your values. You’ll find a lot of freedom if you start figuring out what legacy you want to leave as a mother. What do you want your kids to remember about you?
Elisabeth also offers a course that focuses on identity in motherhood. When you become a mother you take another identity that you never get rid of. But then we have all of these other identities or different hats that we wear. Sometimes it can feel like all you are is a mom because that is your main focus. But it helps so much to begin to figure out who you are because you’re so many other things. She uses her course to help you figure that out.
Here’s a glance at this episode:
[00:02] Play therapy and treating children’s mental health.
[03:18] Career paths and work life balance.
[08:17] Motherhood, therapy, and coaching for moms.
[13:19] Motherhood, overwhelm, and setting boundaries.
[19:33] Identity formation and boundaries for mothers.
[25:04] Identity crisis in motherhood and self discovery.
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