Self-care is doing something with the intention of looking after your mental, emotional, and physical health.

 

Is self-care a myth?

As a busy mum, you’re probably thinking, ‘yeah, right, as if I have time for self-care when I have kids to feed, a household to run, blog posts to write, clients to call…’ and the list goes on and on and on.

It’s easier to run around on autopilot, taking care of everyone else first.

If this is you, I challenge you to ask yourself, ‘Why?’ What is in it for you? How is it serving you to be at other people’s beck and call?

 

Say NO

What would happen if you said no? Would the world fall apart?

The only people upset by boundaries are the ones benefiting by you not having any.

That said, making time for self-care is crucial – it’s non-negotiable.

It might even sound selfish to you, it actually benefits those around you in a bigger way than you realise.

If you take care of yourself, you end up happier, healthier and in a much better frame of mind to serve those around you.

 

Have a self-care ritual

Creating a daily self-care ritual will help you to make the time to refuel your body and mind – long before you reach breaking point.

It also gives you something fun and exciting to look forward to when you get stressed throughout the day.

To create your ritual, pick a time, place, and activity that you want to do.

Don’t be afraid to try different things until you find the perfect thing that feels right to you.

It’s important that your ritual is something you enjoy and it can be quite personal. Don’t copy someone else’s ritual if you actually hate the activities.

Use these ideas as a starting point to get thinking and come up with your own list of things that relax you and help you feel better.

 

Here are a few ideas:

• Read a book just for fun, I’m currently reading The Soul Searcher’s Handbook: A Modern Girl’s Guide to the New Age World by Emma Mildon.
• Take a hot bath.
• Try meditation or yoga.
• If the kids are away, have an afternoon nap. Or maybe they can join you for a nap on the weekend.
• Rediscover an old hobby like painting, making jewellery or your own soap essential oils.
• Snuggle for a few minutes with your favourite pet.
• Get up a few minutes earlier than everyone else to have quiet time to drink your coffee and plan your day.
• Write in your journal.
• Go for a walk outside at sunrise.

It doesn’t really matter what you do as long as it’s something you enjoy and it’s something you do for yourself.

Depending on your situation, your self-care can be very inexpensive and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time either.

Work it into your busy schedule and most importantly, don’t feel guilty about it.

Remember, self-care is fuel for your soul and will make you a happier mum for the rest of the day.

 

What is ONE thing you can do for yourself today?