The Importance of Self-care for Moms
6:38 PM
You know when you're on an airplane and the flight attendant says that if the cabin loses pressure, you should put the oxygen mask on your own face before you help your child? As a mom, this advice probably goes against every fiber of your maternal being. After all, aren’t we supposed to take care of our little ones — all the time, and at all costs? Actually, the flight attendant’s announcement is spot on — and it’s true for surviving motherhood in general. In order to be able to take proper care of everyone and everything else, you first have to attend to yourself.
Self-care 101
Self-care does not have to be costly, time-consuming or difficult. To the contrary, self-care refers to whatever actions you do or behaviors you exhibit — ideally on a daily basis — to help improve your physical, emotional and spiritual health as a mom. When done regularly, notes My Mosaic Journey, self-care may help to boost your immune system and it can also help you navigate the many stressors that pop up from day to day with ease.
Finding Time for Self-care
One of the major barriers moms face when finding time for self-care is the daily to do list. On most days, it's probably about as long as the Magna Carta, and about as uplifting. Fear not, fearless and amazing mom — it is almost always possible to work short bursts of self-care into your day. Take a close look at that to do list to see what you might be able to get rid of, allocate or pare down. You are definitely worth it.
Now, to get you motivated, let's look at some self-care suggestions.
Self-care Idea One: Yoga
If you have ever wanted to give yoga a try, or you love it but have not had time lately to go to a class, visit a local yoga studio and check out their schedule. Evening and weekend classes might work well with your busy days, and you might find a friend to go with you. If you can’t make it to an actual studio, you can still do yoga by following videos on your smartphone. As part of your quest to take better care of yourself and treat yourself to some nice things too, upgrade your smartphone to a model that has a Quad HD display; this will ensure you can see your yoga videos in crystal clear fashion. The LG G4 offers this innovative feature, and it is also an exceptionally user- and budget-friendly phone to own. When the kids are in school or down for their naps, you can retreat to the living room or other quiet space, put on a yoga video and breathe and “ohm” your stress away.
Self-care Idea Two: Schedule a Play Date — for Yourself
As a mom, you might get so involved with taking care of your kids that you forget that you have plenty of other relationships in your life. Text your BFF and set up a time for a coffee at Starbucks, or see if she can meet you for lunch at a restaurant that doesn't have an indoor play place. Call your dear friend who now lives four states away and catch up on the latest news, or spend some time at night texting with a friend like a couple of teens. You can also call a sitter and surprise your hubby with a dinner or movie night out. Reconnecting with others will do wonders for your soul.
Self-care Idea Three: Pretty Much Anything You Want!
As PA of Durango notes, one of the great things about self-care is that anything goes. With that in mind, other ideas include: enjoy a bubble bath — lock the door so the kiddos leave you alone, take a short drive around your neighborhood while listening to music you love, watch a TV show or movie after the kids are in bed, read a great book, take a cooking or photography class, set aside 20 minutes a day to work on a hobby and/or get to bed 30 minutes early.
My Say
We have been told this before: We cannot give what we don't have. We cannot love others if we feel no love for ourselves.
That said, Moms like me should be reminded that taking care of ourselves is doing our family more good than we dare to acknowledge.
6 comments
I'm a pretty low maintenance person, so I don't really spend so much to keep myself beautiful or comfortable. Nevertheless, I need a date with myself time to keep my sanity in tact after hours and hours of taking care of the family and working full time at the same time.
ReplyDeleteyes self care is truly a must so we can care of our family...
ReplyDeleteI do agree with that one too. I don't thnk I could attend for my own safety on the airplane first. I would protect my children first before myself. But on the other side, it is correct too.
ReplyDeleteIt's just so funny how many of us stick to the thinking that we should help ourselves first before we can lend one to others; yet, when it comes to our family, without hesitation, we prioritize them above else. But yes, it's pretty much important to take good care of ourselves too, I realized that one when I finally decided to cut my relationship with the father of my kids (my first 2 kids'). Now, I need to take care of myself too simply because I am is all what my kids have.
ReplyDeleteTaking care of the family always comes first and it is hard to take care of ourself before them. I usually read or shop to spend my alone time or watch a movie when my husband and kids are not around.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree. We should really take care of ourselves to be able to take care of loved ones much better.We can't pour from an empty cup.
ReplyDeleteLet us know what you think