If I was on a game show and asked the question ‘what is meant by self-care’, I would NOT need to phone-a-friend!
As new moms, sleep is usually pretty hard to come by, but with that said, nightly I average:
Let’s talk about H2O…
We all know exercise is good for us for many reasons; my movement/activity level is:
Stillness is actually more important than most people realize and there is also somewhat of a learning curve with it.
When my iPhone alerts me of my average screen time hours, I cringe!
How often am I alone, with no kids?
Moving to the suburbs was the start of this obstacle, followed by having young kids at home, and book-ended with the lovely pandemic, but how often do I get out to socialize with other adult humans?
After having been couped up in the house for literally two years, I would say my physical appearance potentially took a hit. These days, however, I fit in the following category:
Last but not least, the following best describes me the most right now:
Are you your own priority? Take this Self-Care QUIZ to find out what category you fall into!
CONGRATS! YOU ARE A SELF-CARE QUEEN! (scroll down to read more)
I don't know who, what, where, when, or how you came to know all you do about self-care, but congrats mama! I am so proud of you! You have been doing an excellent job and are such a huge role model to your children when it comes to loving and taking care of yourself! We are human, and by definition imperfect, so do not get scared if there comes a time when you fall off track. Simply being aware of this moment is huge. Be gentle with yourself and forgiving, feel all the necessary feels, and then get back into the groove of things. Slipping off track is not a sign of weakness, but instead a demonstration of strength once you are able to bounce back. Since you have your self-care in check, the next steps for you, mama, are to take a deep dive look into your values, passions, and goals to ensure you are headed down the path that is best suited for you. This is my specialty, and I'd love to help you get that meaning and purpose back into your life. Good job, queen, you are amazing!
SELF-CARE? ALMOST THERE...(scroll down to read more)
You are so close to the self-care finish line...just a few more steps to go and you will enter queen status! Congratulations on your accomplishments thus far; you are so close! Maybe you just need one little boost in one particular area of your self-care routine, but have the others down to a science. Or maybe you have an amazing plan and even methods of implementing your routines, but just need a little bit more consistency. Just like with anything else in life, the last part just before the finish line is usually one of the hardest (well, that part as well as the just getting started part!) so I am here to help you make that one last leap if you need me! I work with clients to put appropriate structures in place that will guide you to the end. I promise to you that self-care is not selfish. In order to fully take care of others, you have to first take care of yourself. Why do you think flight attendants demonstrate putting on your own oxygen mask before you help others with theirs? I believe in you and am so proud of what you have done already; now onto the finish! You got this, mama!
SELF-CARE? WHO CARES!!! (scroll down to read more)
...well I care! And so should you! But don't worry; we will get you there! You may love and value yourself, but you have to start doing more about it. Remember, actions are louder than words. I know it is hard as a mom to even think about the notion of putting yourself first, but I promise to you that by doing that, you are actually helping your children more than you know. First and foremost, with a better self-care routine, you will start to have more energy in your day to deal with all of your mom-stacles that are thrown your way (and this all without overloading on your double digit coffee cup of the day!). Appropriate self-care items will also give you a proper outlet to release any stress, anger, or anxiety that you may otherwise let out towards your family accidentally instead. I can literally sit here for hours listing out all the benefits of self-care, but will spare you from that for now...wait, just one more: it's one thing to tell your children the importance of loving themselves, being self-advocates, taking care of themselves, etc. but imagine the possibilities for them if they actually had a real-life model of this at home, in you, their mama?! I challenge you to just one night this week, go to bed right after you put your children to bed! Make a big production of it - maybe take a bath first, or light a special candle, or dim the lights, or put on super cozy socks, or use a face mask just before you turn the lights out, or sip some calming tea, or...I can make this list go on forever! I work with moms just like you and self-care is just one of the many areas we focus on to obtain that more fulfilling life we know is so close and so possible but so not there yet. I promise to you - YOU CAN DO THIS!
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS SELF-CARE? (scroll down to read more)
You have maybe heard the word self-care, but have pretty much no idea what that truly means. To be quite honest, I was actually in your same boat at different moments of my life. I think the term 'self-care' wasn't used way back when as much as it today, but the notion still existed, and there were a few bumps in my life where I was down at square one. The good news is that I made it all the way to the finish line, and so can you! This is a process, though, and doesn't happen overnight so you have to be patient and gentle with yourself along the way. The actual definition of self-care is 'the practice of taking an active role in protecting one's own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.' The only thing I don't necessarily agree with in this definition, however, is the last part about being during a period of stress. Self-care is something that should remain with someone for life. The benefits are endless, but just to give you a few examples: reduce anxiety, eliminate stress, help with depression, bring calmness into your life, improve concentration, minimize frustration, quiet anger, increase happiness, improve energy, boost your immune system, increase self-love and compassion, leave you feeling able to give more to those around you, and much more. Your first step should be to start very small even if means closing your computer/putting down your phone right now to take a 5 minute walk around the block, or perhaps to go fill up your water bottle and challenge yourself to drink an extra glass of water today. You would be surprised how even an unplanned, uninterrupted shower could feel so good for your soul...bonus points if you have a new sample body scrub or hair mask to try out! Well hopefully you have a little bit of a better idea of self-care right now, and hopefully you accept my challenge to start with something very tiny and do that TODAY! I would love to help you on this journey so you know how to reach me if you need me!
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