How to Incorporate Self-Care into Mom Life
I know you probably think im crazy. self-care?
Who has time for that?
How could one possibly take care of oneself while being busy 24/7 with kids?
I get it, nail salons are expensive.
I’m not saying go to a salon every week or anything like that
What I am saying is to start small and remember you can’t pour from an empty cup
It can be difficult to focus on you when you brought other humans in this world
It’s time to stop feeling guilty for doing what you should be doing
Taking care of you
Self-care = health
How is it possible that they are correlated?
Whether you realize it or not, kids can cause some serious anxiety and stress
Lack of self-care affects physical health
Not relieving that stress causes numerous health issues with heart and general health after some time
I’m not a dietician by any means, but living in constant stress makes for a lot of appetite and weight changes
Stress even affects your oral health as well as your eating habits
Lack of self-care affects mental health
As a parent of three, with my own trauma and two of the children having trauma from before they were in my care, mental health is a huge part of my household
When I don’t care for myself, there are times I skip showers, don’t eat, oversleep, and don’t hydrate at all
Anything that involves depriving myself worsens my depression and anxiety, along with irritability
The days you decide to not eat normally, or shower and let things slide over and over, you start to become irritable
All of this trinkles into being unmotivated and sliding further into depression and irritability
There are a few times a week this still happens
My life is overwhelming since my husband works long hours, and the kids are home during quarantine, making things harder
Lack of self-care affects emotional health
This goes back to mental health
Lack of self care induces depression and irritability followed by guilt
The depression leads further into not wanting to do things or leaving bed
Even being medicated, there are weeks like this
Where to start
It can be difficult to know where to start
it seems like most advice encourages going out or going to a salon
While this can be helpful, not everyone is in a position to do these things
Take a minute for yourself and indulge
It is okay to lock the door while you use the bathroom or shower
typically 10-20 minutes will not cause your children harm
sneak away and eat the chocolate you’ve been hiding
Put on a little makeup, I know it makes me feel better
Bonus points if you can get away for a bath
Start a routine
Figure out a routine that includes something you do for yourself for a few minutes
something like washing your face when you get out of bed
maybe brewing coffee and making breakfast for you and your kid(s) even if its just eggs and toast
Finish your day with a face mask or painting your toenails
Keep track
Have a little journal to log what you accomplished for you that day
or even try to schedule out your days with what you would like to do
This journal can be a memo pad
It’s for you, not appointments, not a planner
just a mini book dedicated to you
How to fit it into the mom life
It can be daunting to try to squeeze another thing into the schedule
It is possible to make a few minutes a day to you
Start small
Start with washing your face in the morning
taking a shower alone
sneaking in that chocolate
a glass of wine you enjoy
A few chapters of a book
Include the kiddos
It can be hard to fit anything in the schedule, especially if you are alone most of the time, like me
Paint your toes and your little ones
Have them put cucumbers on their eyes while you wear a face mask
Self-care and mom life do mix (and is necessary)
I know it can seem like a crazy thing to dedicate time to you
mom life seems to have a stereotype of constant dedication to your kids, but it’s not true
