Is Busy Mom Self-Care Even Possible?
In a perfect world, moms would have time for all the things that keep them happy, healthy, and whole. But work, family and extra-curricular demands can often push self-care to the back burner.
Today, our resident Holistic Health Coach, Alida with some tips for making the most of your recovery time.
"When I see a mom feeling overwhelmed, I can tell she's been prioritizing everyone but herself," Alida says.
"There's a thread of procrastination on what makes her most happy and denying herself of the necessary time it takes to reset, recover, and truly rest."
Alida suggests:
1- Schedule self-care as sacred time: block of this time in the schedule and speak up to your family about supporting you in this alone time
2- Set boundaries with your energy: avoid taking the stress of work home with you, speak up when you need support, and learn to say NO when something doesn't support your highest good
3- Get organized: find a way that works for you to track your obligations and the time required for each. It's a lot easier to manage chores when you know how it 'fits' like a puzzle piece in your life
4- Wake up earlier than your kids to make time for grounding: this is CRUCIAL for Alida's clients. Mom's who are jolted into the day tend to stress more, choose comfort foods over nourishing foods, and feel less confident about their self-worth. Even if it's just 15 minutes, a hot shower, a quick meditation, and/or a few pages in a good book can make all the difference.
5- Plan your meals ahead: time demands for busy moms are high so anything and everything you can do to take the pressure off is helpful. Whether you choose to meal prep your whole week ahead of time or simply just plan out which recipes you'll follow for each day, you're freeing up time and brain power to focus on other, more urgent tasks during the week.
6- Make self-care a family affair: if you're crunched for time, try family yoga, take a bike ride, do a cooking class together, try a family at-home spa day. Be the example of health and wellbeing for the family so they see and FEEL the impact of it.
Being a mom can be both exhausting and the most rewarding thing ever. Using these tips, you'll find that the exhausting part begins to subside.