Okay, time to get real. The day off last Sunday is over. My roses are already drooping and on the way to school this morning I was treated to a laundry list of what is needed for the last week of tests and parties. Mother’s Day only comes once a year and one day of (hopefully) rest and appreciation is not enough to qualify as “self care”.
We have 364 other days of the year to function and we need to function well. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, “survival is not selfish!”
There is a reason you put your oxygen mask on first.
You can’t pour from an empty cup.
The busier moms find themselves taking care of themselves less and less as they get busier taking care of their families. It’s natural to put your kids first, but you can’t neglect yourself completely; you’re important too.
1) Get in Activity Daily
It’s good to keep yourself active. However, depending on the age of your child you may get more than your fair share of activity. Physical activity can help your body release endorphins which can improve your mood and increase your energy.
Do whatever activity you enjoy that gets you active. You could walk around the park with your stroller, do yoga in your local studio when you can, use a workout video; do whatever will get you active each day. It could be as simple as a walk after dinner.
2) Stay in Touch with Those Close to You
Taking time to nurture important friendships and relationships is a crucial part of your self-care. It’s not always easy to pay them a visit, especially when they live far away, but there are other, simple ways you can still put the effort in to show them you care.
You could call them for a few moments when you’re doing dishes or taking a walk once or twice a week and keep in touch. You could write them a card or letter, send them a gift, or something along those lines to let them know you’re thinking of them. In this day of the instant messaging, texting and junk mail a card or a handwritten letter is a treasure. I like to send cards randomly- not on any particular holiday.
3) Prioritize Sleep
It’s tempting to try to make the most out of the time your kids are asleep, but it’s important to get sleep yourself. The Director of UCLA Sleep Disorders warns mothers of the risk of limiting their sleep:
“We know from research studies that chronic lack of sleep has adverse health consequences: people who consistently sleep less than six hours experience increased appetite, which causes weight gain and increases the risk of depression, cardiovascular disease, and type two diabetes.”
Sleep is a crucial part of your mental and physical health. Getting the appropriate amount of sleep each night is one self-care treatment you can’t afford to miss out on.
4) Eat Right
Eating right is a great self-care routine to instill. You can experience both short term and long-term effects by eating healthier regularly. It’s tempting to go for the quicker, unhealthy option for yourself, but eating right is better for your body and sets a positive example for your kids. It’ll help to provide you with more energy and better overall health.
And honestly, I have found that it’s just as quick to shred stuff for a salad or slice a cucumber to eat with dip. 
5) Prioritize Your Health
We always make sure to carefully note each checkup and appointment for our children, knowing the exact month to return for yearly checkups, but we rarely take as much are with our own. Your health is important; take special care to make appointments for your yearly checkups and don’t miss any regular exams.
As a mom, you probably struggle to find time to yourself. You put your kids before yourself, which is commendable, but it leaves a void in your self-care routine, resulting in your neglecting yourself.
6) Ditch the “mom guilt”
The struggle is real and you all know it! If your kid didn’t make the team did you help them prepare? Did you buy the right equipment? Did you ______ fill in the blank. Your kid is being picked on, is it because you refused to buy the $200 shoes “everyone else has?”. You had to work and missed the school awards ceremony. You worked late AGAIN and ordered pizza for dinner, AGAIN. And it goes on and on and on…
No one’s life is going to be perfect! Not yours, not the kids, not anyone!
And every other mom out there is battling this lack of perfection too. So the thing to do is BREATH, meditate and pray over this truth and download it into your brain. This is so hard but its your number one priority.
You are important! Your self care is important. So throw out the wilting roses and implement your self care plan till next year’s day off!
