As moms, we often put everyone’s needs first, but then we end up exhausted, frustrated and sometimes cranky.
It can become a viscous cycle, Does this sound familiar?
I need to take better care of myself, but I don’t have time, which leaves me feeling more spent, which means I need more time to take better care of myself.
Self-care does not have to mean a day at the spa (although, I highly recommend that too!) or even that you need to be kid-free. You just have to put conscious effort into your own needs.
Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to take long, you just have to do it:
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Try One of These:
Do Something Healthy First Thing In The Morning:
What you do in the morning sets your tone for the day. I’ve been starting my morning with a green juice and the fact that I have already had 3 servings of vegetables before morning cartoons are over is as much a boost to my ego as it is to my cells! Maybe for you it is exercise, or meditation, or journaling or just a large glass of water! I find that if I start off feeling good about myself, then that builds momentum and I keep doing little things to take care of myself all day.
Drink A Large Glass Of Water:
Speaking of water, we all know how important drinking it is, but, lets face it, sometimes we get busy! Dehydration can leads to headaches, bad moods and can even cause us to overeat. As I stated above I highly recommend starting you day off with a large glass of water, after all you haven’t had anything to drink in 8 hours! But, if your house is anything like mine, I take that glass of water and either I forget about it, or someone knocks it over before I finish it. So I sometimes stand at the kitchen sink and finish a whole glass of water. Then I know I got it in and I know its not going to end up spilled all over the couch.
Use Those Fancy Bath Products:
While in the shower the other morning, I picked up a body scrub in a fancy glass jar I had received as a gift many Christmases ago and was about to toss it in the spirit of getting rid of clutter. But then I wondered why I hadn’t used it. I realized I was saving it for a fancy luxurious bath I always want to take, but never seem to have the time for. So I opened it up, right there on a Wednesday morning, and used it. It smelled divine and made me smile and later in the day I noticed how smooth my skin felt. Why had I waited all this time to use it!?!? (Need a bath scrub? Try this Lavender Body Buff from Vintage Body Spa)
Plot Out A Break
Over the weekend we ended up at a store that had an amazing little play area for the kids; toys, a train table, a play kitchen…and comfy chairs for mom. I sat and finished my coffee, checked in on facebook on my phone and could hardly pry my kids away when it was time to go! I got a little break, my kids had fun and we were all recharged for the next activity! Figure out those places or activity you can add into your day to give you a chance to sit quietly and recharge, while still entertaining the kids! My other faves; the bouncy house at the farmers market, the play space at the mall (across from the coffee shop) and the library story time.
What can you do today to take better care of yourself?
Buy Yourself Flowers
I have a friend who always has the most amazing bouquet of flowers on her dining room table. She buys herself flowers every week, usually the 5.99 ones at the grocery store, she says they make her happy all week when she looks at them. We are all on a budget these days, but treat yourself to flowers, or a new lip gloss or your favorite flavored coffee, then really take the time to enjoy your indulgence.
Want More Tips??
I am always looking for more tips to take care of myself so I asked my amazing community of mom friends for their bits of advice, and these are good:
- Mom Coach, Susan Balding, reminds us to “give to yourself first because if you don’t have any room for patience, nobody else’s day will go well either.”
- Natanya at Grow Together Parenting encourages us to “Forgive yourself. Know that you are doing your best. If you make a mistake, take a deep breath, forgive yourself, (apologize, if appropriate) and look forward to your next opportunity to make a different choice.”
- Momtographer, Beryl Young encourages us to “re-ignite your passion for a hobby or activity. Photography allows me to learn something new, be creative, and preserve my daughter’s milestones as she grows up. It’s a win-win as I take care of myself with my camera I am also caring for my family too by recording our memories together.”
Your Action Items For This Week:
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Drink More Water
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Speak nicely to yourself
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Take a Break
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Make a tiny bit of pampering part of your daily routine
What do you do to take care of yourself? Let me know in the comments below!
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Leona Mizrahi - Totally important to take time for ourselves… especially when we are relied on by others and wearing so many hats. Your reminders are great and I would also suggest having a ‘go-to’ meditation. Even a quick 5 minute meditation can recharge your ‘engine’. Hay House + Meditation Oasis have great apps for smart phones. Xx
Mindy Crary - YES, YES . . . thank you for the great reminder, I need to do all of this! Why does self care always break down?!? It helps me to know that I am not alone. And i need to get on this green juice thing too, do a post about that, okay?
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One thing I do to take care of myself is a daily guided meditation for about 30 minutes. I always think it’s crazy that it can change my outlook so much, but it really grounds me. I am going to print out your list and tape it next to my computer!
Loralee Hutton - I love your easy to follow checklist. I can do that!! Drink more water, speak nicely to myself, take a break and pamper. In fact, I’m going to do that, right now!
Sara Ballard - Great post! Self care is a must do for all Moms. We need to fill our cups to be able to help fill everyone else’s. Fantastic advice!
Ashley Taylor - By taking care of ourselves we in turn are taking care of our business. This was such a huge and valuable lesson for me to learn as an entrepreneur. Loved your suggestions for implementing some self loving and care into our day to day lives as busy busy peeps.
Even a quick step away with a deep breath and cold glass of water – AHHHH so refreshing
Christie Halmick - I am so guilty of forgetting to use the fancy bath stuff or buying a new nail polish and my girls end up using it instead of me! But I do walk every morning and just got started journaling again, now that school’s in session and we have a bit more of a routine!
Tina Pruitt | The Green Juice Coach + Healthy Lifestylist - Love this post Megan! Even reading it gave me a soothing feeling – amazing! And, well, you know I LOVE the green juice part of the post….YAY!
Yes, self-care is #1 on my list of what we need….no, must do everyday…even if it is a very small thing it is sooo worth it! Get out those bath salts, those fancy glasses, those lacy things, that gorgeous journal, get a monthly pedi, download a new book to your tablet…..just DO IT! Self-care promotes improved mindset, great mindset improves our health and relationships. What is more important than those???
xo, Tina
Kat Bouchard - I love the first tip on doing something healthy in the mornings! I like to try and get up a bit early than my babe so I have the time to make a really healthy breakfast. If I don’t start my day out right it can all fall apart so fast! Thanks for the great tips!
Alexis Ashley - I have to remind myself that since I take care of everyone else around here that if I don’t care of me I’m really not taking care of the family very well. Adding more water to my daily routine and limiting caffeine (Hi, I’m Alexis and I’m a Diet Coke addict) has been helpful. I also schedule at least a half an hour of playtime just for myself each and everyday to do something weird, fun, “frivolous”, or whatever. More smiles and giggles in my day makes everyone happier.