We mamas hear plenty of talk about self care these days.
I think this is a good thing! But let’s take a moment and think about what it truly means to take care of yourself.
Until recently, I thought self care was synonymous with a leisurely bubble bath, a pedicure, an hour long massage, a relaxing glass of wine, you fill in the blank.
And don’t get me wrong. Heck yeah, I would jump at the opportunity to enjoy any of those things!
But my perspective on self care has been shifting.
Sometimes self care means doing the hard things, too. Things like…
Getting out of bed early to center yourself before your kids wake.
Getting regular physical exercise.
Asking for help. Eek!
Speaking up for yourself when you’re being treated like a doormat.
Making your bed. (Ok, that one really isn’t too hard. I promise!)
Creating a routine for yourself and sticking to it.
Communicating to your partner what you need.
Setting aside time to figure out what you need.
Letting go of toxic relationships.
Reworking the budget to allow for date night.
Keeping your smartphone out of the bedroom at night to force you to rest.
Saying NO to things that drain you or don’t align with your current goals.
Asking someone to hold you accountable.
Scheduling an appointment with a counselor, dentist, fill in the blank.
Reconciling your bank account and sticking to a budget.
Starting dinner during naptime when you know 5pm is gonna be cray.
That early dinner prep was what I needed to do for myself the other day. We had returned from an adventure-filled family road trip over the 4th of July holiday. (Happy Birthday to me!)
We had missed naps for a few days, dined on scrumptious fare, stayed up way past bedtimes, and all that jazz… and you mamas know what it’s like coming home from a vacation with kids! You need a vacation from your vacation, am I right?
Needless to say, being proactive and cooking dinner early made all the difference in how our evening went.
I was able to take the kids to martial arts and come home knowing that we only needed to reheat the chili, throw some Fritos on top, and enjoy each other’s company. ::insert deep relaxing breath here::
Thank you so much, self! Things could have gone much differently that day.
So, do yourself a favor and think for just a minute…
What do you need today? What do you need today? What do you need today?
Now go make it happen, Mama. And be sure to pause and thank your self, too!
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