Mommas, when was the last time you stopped and looked after you? When was the last time that you had a long hot shower or put a face mask on or sat down and read a few pages of a book uninterrupted. When was the last time you got yourself a massage or got a walk or workout in without pushing a stroller. When was the last time that you had just a few minutes to stop and take a couple of deep breaths in the quiet?
It’s hard for most human beings to engage in self-care practices especially in the society we live in. A society that prides itself of being busy. Today we run on less sleep than is healthy, food that is less nutritious and run around from one thing to the next to the next without stopping to breathe. We live in a society where being busy is a badge of honour that we wear with pride..but I’m hear to tell you that it’s not a badge of honour and it’s not good for your health.
Self-care can be defined as any activity we do that benefits our physical, mental or emotional health. Self-care helps us fill up our cups instead of letting them run dry. It fuels and energizes us even when we feel drained. It shouldn’t be something you have to force yourself to do, it should be something that you genuinely enjoy doing. Self-care will look different for each and every person, and it’s important to find what works for you. Self-care doesn’t have to take you an hour, sometimes it’s as simple as two minutes.
Above all else moms tend to put self-care on the back burner more than anyone. After all they are busy and they have kiddos to look after so when do they have time to look after themselves? On top of that there’s society that makes them feel guilty for wanting to look after themselves. You have kids you should be looking after them, not taking time away from them to look after yourself. I will avoid going on a rant about how wrong this is and just tell you that it’s wrong…period.
Self-care is a journey that consists of practices, it’s not something you do once and forget it. Your journey will change over time and will look different at different times and seasons of your life. There will be times when you have more time to put towards looking after yourself and other times where it may only be one minute a day and that’s okay. What’s important to realize is that self-care can improve your confidence, self-worth and it helps you to feel more optimistic. It also allows you to set an example for your children and to teach them the importance of self-care and how they can implement it into their lives as well.
The biggest reason that moms don’t engage in self-care practices often enough is that they “don’t have time”. But self-care doesn’t have to take a lot of time and it doesn’t have to be elaborate. I think when most people hear the term self-care they think bubble baths, candles, maybe a glass of wine or a massage. If this is self-care for you and you are able to get it in to your life then great keep doing it, but it doesn’t have to this way. A 5 minute stretch break can be self-care. Making a cup of coffee or tea can be self-care. Taking 5 minutes to walk around the block can be self-care. Talking to a friend on the phone can be self-care. Getting a workout in can be self-care. Taking 10 deep breaths can be self-care. Drinking enough water each day can be self-care. Making a nutritious meal can be self-care. You get the picture. At the end of the day, self-care is anything that helps energize you and fill your cup up so find the activities that help you do this. Remember they can be simple and they don’t need to take a lot of time. Take a few minutes and jot down 10 things that you can do for you. You don’t need to do them all everyday, but it will give you a starting point on where your self-care journey will begin and you can build on this list or modify as needed as you move through your journey.
Although self-care can be simple, we still need to be intentional about it. Self-care doesn’t happen if we don’t take the time to make it happen. Schedule the time into your calendar, even if it’s only a few minutes and treat it like a meeting or an appointment that you can’t miss. Talk to those around you about it and tell them what you need. Working together hopefully they can help you keep your self-care time on your schedule, even if it’s only a few minutes. And above all else, do not feel guilty about taking time for yourself. You are allowed to energize yourself, fill your cup up and take a few minutes to do something for you. If you are a momma who needs the permission for this…I’m here giving it you. Take this as your permission and don’t let anyone tell you that you shouldn’t take time for yourself. You are hard working and raising kiddos and self-care should be a part of your life for your own health and wellness and for the health and wellness of those around you. Be intentional and don’t neglect it. Do something for you today!
Are you interested in learning more? Do you need a coach to guide you along your health and wellness journey including your self-care. Contact me today to get started on your coaching journey.
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