How to Love Yourself as a Mom:
15 Simple and Effective Self-Care Tips
You spend your days
taking care of everyone and everything, but when was the last time you took care of yourself? As moms, it’s easy to forget about our own needs. But it’s time to tap into the restorative magic of self-care and show yourself some love!"
Being a mom comes with a lot of responsibility and sacrifice. It's easy to put ourselves last on the list and to feel guilty for taking time for us.
Self-care is essential,
not just for our own well-being, but for our children's as well. By taking care of ourselves, we become happier and more balanced mothers.
I know it from my own experience. When I became a mom, everything was more important than taking time for myself. When my baby was napping, I would go to clean the house, cook, do the laundry, or organize the toys, but I would never think about doing something for myself. Until my body had enough and I burnt out. I felt all the time exhausted, I lost motivation in most areas of my life, I was frequently ill, I was not interested in socializing or getting out of the house, unless I was taking the kids for a walk.
During the health coach training I realized what I was going through, and I started to take care of myself. It was a big learning curve because I did not have much free time with 2 very young kids at home.
“So first I had to change my mindset and realize that selfcare is more than just bubble bath and massages. I have learnt that real selfcare lies in small, consistent, and sustainable daily acts. ”
Those small self-care moments add up during my days and help me fill my cup, feel cared for, loved, and respected by myself and by my surroundings, which helps me feel more energized, happier, and healthier.
Here I would like to share with you 15 self-care practices that even on the busiest days can be incorporated into your day.
Forgive yourself: Motherhood and life in general, comes with mistakes, and it's essential to forgive yourself when you make them. Don't beat yourself up and move on.
Ask for help: Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Reach out to family, friends, or hire a babysitter to take some pressure off you. I used to overload myself, would not say a word about it, but expect others to realize that I was struggling. Clear communication is key, don´t be afraid about talking about your needs and telling others how they can help you. Even Supermoms need help.
Go to bed early: Getting enough sleep is crucial for physical and emotional well-being. Try to build a sleep routine that ensures you get enough restful sleep each night. This one is hard for me too, as we are co-sleeping with the kids and our youngest still breastfeeds a couple of time each night. So even if I am in bed early I still don´t get more than a few hours of sleep at once, but at least I rest.
Spend time in nature: Nature has a calming effect on our mind and body. Try to spend some time outdoors, go for a walk, a hike, or just sit and enjoy the peacefulness of nature. Since we have a dog, going to the park is a daily routine. But what really helped me here is being conscious about it and realizing that even though it´s a daily routine I can make the most of it by being purposeful about it. Sometimes I would time the dog´s walk when my little one was napping. So while she was sleeping and Cuba was wondering around I could just sit on a bench and enjoy some deep breathing while allowing the Sun to warm and energize me.
Balancing breathing exercise: Practicing a few minutes of deep breathing can have a calming effect on the mind and body.
Spend 10 minutes alone: Take a break and spend ten minutes by yourself. I like to just sit down on the sofa, maybe put some relaxing music on and breath to allow my body and mind to relax and reset.
Journal your feelings: Writing down your thoughts and emotions can be cathartic. Take some time to journal each day.
Take a nap with your baby: Sleep when your baby sleeps and take short naps during the day to recharge. Instead of pushing yourself through the tiredness, allow yourself to rest with your little one.
Talk to a friend: Reach out to a friend who understands what you're going through, talk, or vent with them. Often the simple fact that you get your frustration out of your system helps you to feel relieved and less stressed.
Do some social media detox: Taking a break from social media can reduce stress and anxiety. Way too often we scroll our social media accounts totally mindlessly, but even if we pay only half attention to it, we get so many impulses, information that raises our level of stress.
Proper hydration: Make sure you're drinking enough water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated. Dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, irritability, digestive problems, foggy brain… An easy and efficient way to start hydrating yourself is the following: Have a glass of water right after getting up in the morning, and one glass before each meal.
Order take-away: Sometimes ordering take-away or eating out can be a treat and a way to take a break from cooking. Fortunately there are so many great, healthy and nutritious options available nowadays, take advantage of them.
Compliment yourself in the mirror: Each morning, spend a moment in front of the mirror and give yourself a genuine compliment. You are doing a fantastic job and you do deserve a few kind words from yourself. Your are creating miracle by raising a child. You are magic!
Do some artwork like coloring: Doing artwork like coloring is an excellent way to reduce stress and be creative. My older daughter often asks me to color with her and it is truly relaxing.
15. Do some stretching
This is something I started to incorporate when my babies could not walk yet. While I was playing with them, I would do some simple stretching exercises which helped to release tension from my muscles and make me feel better.
Remember; it's essential to take care of ourselves as moms. We need to show ourselves love and respect by incorporating self-care practices into our daily routine. These tips are simple and doable, so take some time each day for yourself.
A healthy and happy mom means happy kids as well.
With much love,
