Putting your best foot forward (particularly for busy parents) necessitates deliberate choices, even if it means venturing beyond your comfort zone and prioritising yourself. While managing a family and a profession, you may still feel healthy, look fantastic, and live a happy life. What is the key? Creating a balanced existence by making intentional decisions that nourish your body, mind, and spirit. Self care is important even if you are really busy.
ALSO READ: PROMOTING BODY IMAGE IN CHILDREN
Most women experience this damned-if-I-do, damned-if-I-don’t pressure when deciding whether to work or stay at home, and virtually all mothers, regardless of job status, experience guilt when taking time away from their children to practice self-care. Her four children vary in age from 12 to 22. Moms have a mile-long to-do list, and they often place themselves at the bottom of it. Set a goal for yourself when you become a mother and commit to caring for your child: I will honour and respect myself by taking care of my needs on a regular basis. This will make me more content and enable me to properly care for my family. As mothers, we have a unique chance to teach our children how to be nice to themselves and, as a result, how to be kind to others. We can’t pour from an empty cup, as the expression goes.
But where do you start, especially if you’ve been neglecting your own “to-do” list for some time? Keep your dreams alive by being patient with yourself and treating yourself with the same love and care you show others.
Focus on these six basic self-care ideas and activities to help you start the year on the right foot with a self-care mentality:
1. Get your body moving.
Choose activities that drive you to exercise consistently, whether you need to exercise more frequently or simply want to change up your daily routine. Take a yoga class outside. Participate in a 5K race. Engage the services of a personal trainer. Make an attempt at Tai Chi. Purchase a Pilates DVD for at-home use. Burton suggests including a fun aspect, such as hosting dance parties with your kids in the living room or going roller skating.
2. Feed your body well.
Because high-quality nutrients feed your body, make sure you consume and drink them.” It’s human nature to prioritise your children. However, you must eat the right meals to be healthy. It’s beneficial for your children to see you taking care of yourself because you’re setting a good example.” What are some basic suggestions for making healthy eating a habit? Once a week, switch to a vegetarian diet. Organic vegetables may be found at farmer’s markets. Cooking from scratch should be done more frequently. Instead of soda, drink water. Also, set aside a few minutes each week to plan what you’ll have in your fridge so you can prepare quick, nutritious, and simple meals.
3. Get connected.
Don’t let your hectic schedule prevent you from spending time with your family and friends. If weekly date evenings aren’t possible , set aside some time to interact on a regular basis. Make the first Friday of each month a date night, or organise a coffee date with your buddies once a month on Saturday morning. Make it a mission to have your neighbours over for supper at least once a month, and plan on pizza and a movie for everyone’s kids so you don’t feel obligated to “entertain.”
4. Put your healthcare on the calendar.
You wouldn’t allow your children skip their annual physicals, so don’t neglect your own health! Burton says she’s seen far too many tales of women rejecting their bodies’ warnings and failing to seek medical help, leading to major health problems. What’s the bottom line? Annual physicals, relevant testing, mammograms, skin examinations, pap smears, flu immunizations, and eye screenings should all be scheduled. Also, schedule a yearly dental exam and cleaning.
5. Make sleep a priority.
Moms are frequently drawn into the “get-it-done-before-the-kids-wake-up” mindset. According to study, prolonged sleep deprivation has negative health consequences: persons who sleep fewer than six hours each night have an increased appetite, which leads to weight gain and raises the risk of depression, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. Things to avoid before going to bed? Food, drink, emotionally distressing talks, and stimulants should all be avoided (such as caffeine and nicotine).
6. Stay connected to yourself.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day rituals of family life as a mom: car pools, laundry, dinner preparation, bill paying, cleaning, and so on. Before you know it, ten years have passed and you’ve devolved into a husk of your former self. What is the antidote? Hobbies should be pursued. Journal. Meditate. If you’ve left the employment, keep up with industry changes.