To the mother reading this: Are you giving yourself enough time?
Motherhood is one of the best gifts Nature has given you. Embracing it has been a beautiful experience so far. You are doing your best juggling different roles at home and at work. But it is important to take care of yourself to have more patience, passion, and energy for your loved ones- especially the little one.
Research says that averagely, mothers are able to devote about 17 minutes to themselves each day. Moreover, loneliness arising due to changes in relationship dynamics with partners, family, and friends is said to cause burnout. Which is why most mothers look overworked and unhappy.
So, you need to up the self-care game. Self-care does not limit to expensive spa treatments or hermit mode. Let’s understand the essence of self-care and how can it be a part of your life:
What is self-care for mothers?
According to psychologist Christine Meinecke, self-care means to learn how to self-soothe or calm your physical and emotional distress. You should proactively choose those behaviors or activities that balance the effects of physical and emotional stressors.
Hence, self-care is:
- A daily practice
- Your personal toolkit
- A combination of sustainable and do-able behaviors and activities
- An essential regimen
Why is it necessary?
Here’s what makes self-care non-negotiable for mothers:
- Goes beyond yoga and meditation
Self-care is simple and sweet. It’s like taking your vitamins and minerals supplements regularly. It includes all those activities that make you feel kind towards your body.
- Helps you to detach from guilt
Self-care stops the downward spiral of negative self-talk and criticism. It allows you to make mistakes in your daily life so that you don’t get stressed out.
- Makes you fall in love with your body
As a woman, you give birth and feed your baby. But including self-care in your life pushes you to overcome physical challenges. Maybe that’s why you would want to run that marathon, learn that new dance form, or master that tough Yoga asana.
- Improves relationships with children and spouse
Self-care enables you to cultivate compassion for self and others. This will definitely make you address the needs of your loved ones.
- Promotes overall well-being
Engaging in sustainable and do-able activities on a daily basis helps you to create a strong self that can withstand any challenge of motherhood. The practices boost your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being.
- Encourages mindfulness
Self-care instills curiosity, non-judgment, and silence. When you are able to observe things without getting worked up is when your self-care practice has worked for you.
Self-care ideas for the hands-on mom
Now that you’ve understood the meaning and importance of self-care for mothers, let’s learn some basic self-care strategies for the busy you.
You will see that these activities mentioned below are inexpensive, simple, and easy to follow. That’s how any self-care routine should be!
The activities include:
- Journaling
- Listening to uplifting music
- Writing and sending a personalized note to a loved one
- Making yourself a nice drink
- Coloring a mandala or any image from a coloring book
- Social media detox
- Paying compliments to loved ones
- Writing down all your worries on a piece of paper and the potential action steps against each worry
- Planning a special one-on-one date with your child
- Talking to a friend or loved one
- Giving yourself a nice hair-oil massage
- Going for a walk in your neighborhood
- Downloading a gratitude app and writing what you are grateful for
- Meditating
- Pursuing your creative hobbies
- Doing less
- Crying it out
- Channeling your inner Marie Kondo i.e. clutter clearing
- Exploring a new place in the locality
- Going for that manicure-pedicure
- Listening to your inner child
The above self-care activities will take you one step closer to inner peace and happiness. Even as a mother, you can and should find time to take good care of yourself every now and then. After all, can you pour from an empty cup?
References:
https://www.workingmother.com/6-reasons-why-self-care-is-non-negotiable-for-working-moms#page-3
https://www.mother.ly/life/25-self-care-ideas-for-exhausted-parents
