Why we need to embrace Self-Care Daily
When I was first a mom my goal was to be a Super Mom, I did everything, from baking to making jams. I would conquer all. I went to playgroups, daily trips and I believed that the more I did for my girls the better mom I would be. I had no Self-Care in my life.
And Then Guess What?
One day I woke up and I was exhausted, didn’t want to play, didn’t want to get out of bed. I overnight became a bear, crabby, short-tempered and angry. Where did the fun-loving mom go? I was not so pleasant to be around.
But Self-Care is Selfish right?
No, not at all. This is what I thought too. Have you ever flown in a plane? In an emergency, they ask you to put on your oxygen mask first. Why? Because if you don’t you won’t be able to help those around you.
So, think about that. If major airlines have it figured out that we need to take care of ourselves first. What is stopping us? Well, pretty much us. We get in our way in our pursuit to be the best mom.
Self-Care isn’t Selfish.
I want you to repeat that. Self-Care isn’t selfish. Taking time for you is important for our mental wellbeing. We are moms, yes, but we where individuals before that and its ok to keep that piece of us alive. I get it and understand that its hard to get 5 minutes to yourself let alone 31 days of Self-care.
Why Self-Care is so important for Moms
It is vital for our wellbeing. Self-Care prevents burnout, stress, exhaustion, anger. It gives us energy, keeps us young, helps us to sleep better. It makes us a better friend, partner, wife, and mom. It does this because we are taking care of ourselves before we hit the exhaustion state.
When we are utterly exhausted we aren’t able to cope, sleep and we become the angry bear. When we have a well taken care of the body, we feel better about life and ourselves. We are better equipped to handle the stresses of life.
Taking time out for ourselves reminds us and those around us that we value ourselves, and our needs are important. We can feel so overwhelmed
What Self-Care is.
Self-Care is something we do daily, it needs to be like hygiene and eating. We need to do it daily to keep us healthy. It is little bits of self-love scattered throughout the day.
What I believe has gotten us away from Self-Care is the belief that its a big event, like a Girls Weekend away, a week in Hawaii or a day at the spa. Trust me those are good things, but Self-Care is little snippets of love in our day.
The little snippets can be reading a book for 10 mins, sitting out in the sun, watching a good movie, laughing, jumping in a puddle. Saying No, doing something for ourselves like taking a course or trying new food.
Think of all the things that make you smile. Seeing puppies, cuddling kittens, having a good coffee. All those things, those are Self-Care. They fill up our cup and bring a smile to our faces.
Where do you start with Self-Care?
I encourage you to make a list of all the things that make you smile. Be sure to grab the FREE Printable 31 Days of Self-Care. My list would look something like this.
- Go to the Library and get a new book.
- Have a coffee and sit outside.
- Make someone a card.
- Go for a walk, and pet every dog I see.
- Step outside and take 4 big breathes.
- Pay someone a compliment.
- Go for a hike.
- Have a bath with some Epsom salts.
- Make my favorite food.
- Watch a funny or inspiring movie.
- Go out with my mom.
- Take my daughter on a date.
- Cuddle with my cats.
- Getting a baby sitter and have an hour to myself.
- Learn How to Meditate
Why is it hard to Self-Care?
It can take time to set something new into our lives, change is always hard at first. It’s like starting a new gym or eating plan, it is hard to get going. We may want to sleep in, but our body aches then after a while we feel energized and loving our new routine.
Self-Care is the same. We need to commit to little bits each day, and keep going no matter how hard or how much we want to fight it.
We feel selfish that we are taking time away from our kids and partner. We feel mama guilt, and our children can pick up on that. We need to do a little switch of our thinking. With your list of what fills you up write on the bottom why you feel self-care is important. Why you want more self-care. Refer to this list when you feel guilty or try to talk yourself out of self-care.
How to start Self-Care Daily.
- First, finish your list of all the things that bring a smile to yourself.
- Print off the list I have made for you.
- Now grab yourself a blank monthly calendar
- You are going to write one thing each day for the next 31 days.
- We are not going to leave it up to chance, it is going to be a date with ourselves
31 Days of Self-Care
Would you cancel a Doctor’s appointment or a meeting at work? Usually no, because we made an appointment and its important to us. The same with ourselves. We are making small dates each day with ourselves, so plan your month, and have your reasons why you are doing on a sticky on the calendar.
Remember I started with telling you I was a bear, a crab and completely exhausted. Having Self-Care in my life changed that. I make sure I have time for myself to avoid exhaustion and anger, so it has also become my check-in point.
If I have had a very busy week and notice myself getting more crabby, tired or exhausted, I check-in. Have I done anything for myself lately? Have I had a break? What can I do?
Give yourself a gift over the next 31 days of Self-Care, write down how you feel today, and then how you feel in 31 days. I would love to hear from you!
