It’s Okay to Take Care of Yourself

If you ask a mom why self-care isn’t a priority, she will most likely tell you 1 of these 10 things:

1.     “I don’t have any time.”

2.     “I don’t have a babysitter.”

3.     “I feel guilty.”

4.     “I’m drained.”

5.     “I have so many other things to do.”

6.     “I feel fine.”

7.     “My family is depending on me.”

8.     “My children come first.”

9.     “I don’t want to be selfish.”

10.  “I’ll do it another day.” 

Can you relate to any of these?

My favorite one to say was, “I feel guilty.”

I experienced mom guilt from the very beginning. I felt guilty about EVERYTHING. 

Going to the grocery store, going to work, going to the nail salon, spending time alone. I felt bad for taking care of myself, so I stopped, like most moms. It was just easier to neglect myself and my needs. 

As women we are the natural caretakers of the family. We’re raised to cater to everyone, but no one teaches us the importance of taking care of ourselves. Motherhood can be draining, especially when you don’t have the proper support system, but no one talks about that either.  

It’s time for us to start talking about things that matter. 

I truly didn’t realize how many moms have neglected themselves and their self-care until a few weeks ago when the co-founder of my mom group asked us, “Do you struggle with taking care of yourself?” 

Majority of the women said yes. It instantly took me back to that period of exhaustion. I remembered how drained I was and how ashamed I was to tell anyone. As a new mom, the last thing you want is for anyone to think you’re incapable. I’m not concerned about what others think of me anymore and neither should you. Ladies it's up to us to recognize when we're overwhelmed and ask for help. We are carrying loads that one person is not meant to carry alone. 

 My self-care journey has been sporadic over the past couple of years, but I can finally say that I am making self-care a priority. Each month I have committed to taking better care of myself.

Here’s a few ways I’ve incorporated self-care into my life:

1.Determine Your Self-Care Why

Everything starts why. There’s a reason for everything you do. If you don’t find the importance of self-care, you’re not going to make it a priority. Take a few moments to ask yourself these questions:

• What is self-care?

• Why is self-care necessary?

• Why did I stop taking care of myself? 

• Why does my self-care matter?

As soon as you get clear on your why, it’ll be easier for you to make self-care apart of your routine.  

2.Dedicate 15 Minutes a Day to Yourself

You deserve way more than that, but 15 minutes is a great start. You may have to wake up earlier or go to bed later, but you will thank yourself in the long run. It’s important to spend some time with yourself each day. You can spend 15 minutes a day doing the following:

• reading a book

• journaling 

• meditating 

• talking a walk

• listening to music

• soaking your feet

• stretching 

3.Schedule 1 Self-Care Activity Per Month

I like to make things fun so I created a “self-care jar”.  At the beginning of each month, I pull out a sticky note from the jar which has my self-care activity for the month. I then schedule my self-care activity immediately after because we all know a goal without a date is just a dream. I have all of my self-care activities written down so once I complete it, I check it off the list. 

To all the mothers out there, I just want to let you know… It is possible to love yourself while being a mother and it is possible to take care of your children and yourself at the same time. You just have to make it a priority!

I created a free guide for us: 5 Strategies to Help You Avoid Burnout. Please do yourself a favor and download it so that you can get started on making self-care a priority. 

 YOUR SELF-CARE MATTERS TOO! 

Please share this with a mom you know and tell her she is not alone.