“Self-Care means giving the world the best of you instead of what is left of you.”
You know the saying, ” You cannot pour from an empty cup”? Well, it really is a great reminder that we have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of anyone else.
As a new mom this is something that I struggled with for a bit because my thought process was how am I supposed to take care of me when my baby needed my attention 24/7. Between nursing, pumping, changing diapers and restless nights, when was I going to find the time to care for my needs?
When I found myself feeling like I was going to breakdown I knew something had to change. I realized that if I didn’t start to take time to take care of my body, mind and spirit, I wasn’t going to be able to effectively be present for my child much longer.
I started to incorporate changes that have definitely helped me when it comes to self-care and they have made a world of a difference for my family and I.
Pamper Yourself
We all think of pampering ourselves when we hear the words self-care. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. It can be going to get a relaxing massage, going to the nail salon, taking a relaxing bath or even giving yourself a nice facial. Pampering is going to be different for everyone. What’s important is that we make time for ourselves to enjoy our me-time.
Wake Up Before Your Kids
Having restless nights may make it hard to incorporate this one at first. I started with getting up 30 minutes before my baby to have my morning meditation and devotion time. Waking up before baby helps to prepare you for the day and start it off with a clear head and calm spirit. The more you practice this the easier it will be.
Rest When Baby Does
This is advice that everyone gave me when my daughter was first born and I would just roll my eyes and think to myself, ” when baby is resting that’s going to be my time to get things done around the house.” That did not last long at all, lol.
After the countless restless nights, the urge to go on a cleanup spree around our home went away quickly and I started looking forward to my daughters nap time. I started napping right along with her and after a while I started to just relax and put my feet up while she slept.
Whether it’s resting, relaxing or sleeping we all need to take a break and recuperate and there is no better time to do this than when baby is napping.
Connect With Other Moms
Motherhood can be extremely lonely and isolating at times. You start to miss out on the adult interaction. I myself can attest to feeling like the walls were closing in on me.
Something as simple as meeting a friend for lunch or having a playdate was my saving grace and helped me to reclaim my sanity. Even connecting with other moms online can be great. Meeting like-minded women will be comforting and also show you that you are not alone in your feelings and experiences as a mom.
We all need support and getting that from other moms can be so helpful as we shift into motherhood.
Start A Hobby
Finding a new hobby is a great way to practice self-care. Whether it be painting, crafting, baking, cooking, dancing etc, do something that you love or have always wanted to try or experience.
Being a mom is really the most rewarding job I’ve ever had, but its also hard. Self-care is something that we need to incorporate into our lives daily for our mental, physical and spiritual well being. Whatever self-care looks like for you, be consistent and know that you deserve to spend a little more time on yourself.
Do you have any self-care tips that work for you?
When it comes to self-care, I am the worst! I need to make sure I make the time in 2021.
I am all about self care and this is a great article.
I started a hobby that doesn’t allow me to sleep when my baby does…I blog! LOL!
Yes definitely important to rest when the baby is asleep. Self-care is so important for mums and can be practiced in so many different ways.
Being a mother does not mean taking less care of yourself and for this reason what you wrote I share and underline it!
Great advice to new moms out there. My sis just had her first baby. I’ll give this article to her to read.
People used to tell me to sleep when the baby would sleep, but I wouldn’t. I would run around the house and do the things I needed to do. I wish I’d have rested. The house would have waited. 🙂
These are all such good points. This has been a huge struggle for me over the years. And so many times I thought I could do everything on my own, but I could not. I have definitely had some rock bottom moments because I was totally run down and running on empty.
Great advice. As a mom, we need some “me time” to pause and reflect on things that matter to you.
Self care for me means knowing my boundaries and not being ashamed for keeping to them. It’s ok for us Moms to need quiet time away from the kids.
Self-care is crucial for moms. My kids are fortunately teens and are mostly self-reliant so I have nothing but time on my hands these days but I remember being absolutely exhausted when they were little!
it’s a very useful article. I am very much keen about self care.