The best self-care tip for mothers is to nurture the body, mind and soul each and every day.
As rich and rewarding as motherhood is, it can be draining if women don’t take time to nurture themselves. Giving care, love and attention to a child feeds the soul, but when you add all the other daily tasks and responsibilities to the bundle, it becomes heavy. Mothers need to remember the importance of feeding themselves first so they have sustenance to give to others. They need to nurture their body, mind and soul.
If you are a busy mother on the go, schedule in time for these nurturing self-care activities. These will energize you on every level so you can stay healthy and balanced.
Self-Care Tips for the Body
~ Eat nutritious meals every day. I’m sure you want your children to eat healthy, but if you don’t do this yourself, you won’t role model it and you’ll feel depleted during the day. Check in with your body type to see what you need. Some women need extra protein while others get a boost from veggies and fruit. Slow down on the white starches and sugar as a way to increase energy.
~ Listen to your body regularly. Throughout the day, stop and breathe for a few minutes. Then listen to what your body needs. Does it need rest or movement? Does it need a slow walk or an aerobic workout? Combine your body’s needs with your children’s activities as a way to support everyone.
~ Feel your emotions. Mothers are so busy tending to their children’s needs and emotions that they tend to forget to honor their own. Take time each day to check in with your emotions. Process sadness and anger, express amusement and joy; releasing pent up emotions will free your energy instantly.
~ Get your touch needs met. Babies and children need lots of loving touch and hugs in order to thrive, but so do adults. Going for a professional massage is a wonderful way to treat yourself. Receiving a foot, back or full body massage from your partner nourishes you and the relationship. But in addition to these, and especially if these aren’t available, a loving self-care activity is to give yourself a massage. When you go to bed at night or after a shower in the morning, lovingly rub your favorite scented massage oil onto your skin. Start at your feet and work your way up to your neck and shoulders. Send loving thoughts and energy to each part of your body as you do this.
Self-Care Tips for the Mind
~ Find inner stillness. Spend 5 to 15 minutes each day in silence to recharge your mental batteries. Meditating is great way to calm mind chatter, but you can also enjoy inner stillness and silence during a bubble bath or a walk in nature. Find what works for you and commit to this practice daily.
~ Enjoy mental stimulation. If you spend your whole day with children you might feel as though your brain is turning to mush. Take breaks for adult conversation, read interesting books and magazines, participate in a hobby while your kids play. A great joint activity is learning to play a musical instrument. Children learn easily, but it takes a little more mental gymnastics for adults so this is a good way to keep your brain healthy.
~ Avoid judgments and negativity. An important self-care tip for everyone, whether you have children or not, is to avoid judging people and situations harshly. This only brings your mood and energy down. Avoid gossip and instead focus on the positive side of people and situations as a way to stay uplifted and healthy. Most importantly, practice positive self-talk and self-love.
~ Journal your thoughts. Take advantage of the time while your children are drawing, coloring or doing homework to process your thoughts, ideas, dreams, and problems in a journal. It’s a powerful process for self-awareness and a helpful way to gain insights on your life.
Self-Care Tips for the Soul
~ Connect to the God of your Heart. A spiritual connection nourishes the soul and energizes the mind and body. What supports you to feel a spiritual connection? Explore prayer, meditation, chanting, silence in nature and any other soulful activity as a way to deepen your connection to the God of your heart.
~ Ingest inspirational material. Many spiritual teachers advise against watching, reading or listening to the news because it’s a vexation to the soul. Substitute this with inspiring books, soothing music, spiritual literature and uplifting movies as a way to nurture your soul.
~ Ignite your creativity. Creativity is how our soul expresses itself. Create a new meal without a recipe, plant a garden, draw and paint with your kids, write a story for your children, or embark on anything that sparks your creativity.
~ See the spirit within. It may be easy for you to see your child’s soul shining through, but can you see the spirit within everyone you encounter? As you think of others, when you speak to people on the phone, and when you encounter friends, family, acquaintances or strangers, look past appearances and personality to see the spirit within. This will support you to stay spiritually connected.
There are many ways to nurture your body, mind and soul. Which ones are you already doing? Which ones are missing? Notice the tips you are drawn to and implement them into your life each day. If your inner taskmaster screams, “But we don’t have time for these,” know that as you take time to honor yourself as much as you honor your children, time and energy will increase to support you.
Do you have any questions or additional self-care tips for mothers? Please share below.
Self care is important for all of us, but so much more important for mothers. Mothers have little people relying on them!