Taking Care of You!

Taking Care of You!

Self care is vital to your well-being.

A little louder for the people in the back….

Self Care is vital to your well-being!!

As moms we constantly give our all for our families. If you think about it we are the first ones up and the last ones to go to bed.

We are in charge of schedules, meals, housework, etc. We keep the house running like a well oiled machine. As usual though we sometimes tend to neglect ourselves.

We put our family’s needs before our own. I know in my experience I constantly make sure everyone has everything they need before I do. I also would rather spend my money on my kids instead of myself. That’s probably why I rarely get a new outfit or clothes and keep the same clothes until I can’t wear them anymore.

In general though, their needs come before mine.

That’s not always a good thing!

I’m definitely not saying you should neglect your family or put yourself first. Well not the neglecting part, you should definitely never neglect your family. However every now and then it’s ok to put yourself first. And by that I mean it’s ok to treat yourself.

It’s ok to take a little time and recharge your batteries.

When you neglect yourself, you neglect your basic needs. You become tired, irritable, worn down.

How can you give your all when there’s nothing left of you to give?

How do you expect to take care of your family’s needs when you neglect your own? I know it’s very easy to do and it’s a very selfless thing to do. But it ends up hurting you.

Just like with your favorite appliance or something you rely on..

If you don’t take care of your things, they break. However when you do a routine maintenance on them, they last longer. My parents had a Toyota Previa that we had since I was really, really little. It was actually the first car I ever learned to drive. They took care of that thing like it was their baby. Oil changes, new tires, etc, they made sure that it stayed reliable because it had to be.

Now when I actually got a hold of it was probably the downfall of the poor vehicle, but we won’t go into detail about that.

They drove that thing until they were physically told it was undriveable.  At 397,000 miles they had to give it up. But 397,000 miles were on that car!! I mean it’s a Toyota and they last for a very long time, but I honestly feel it was because of the maintenance and the care they put into it.

So if we do this for the things we rely on, why not for ourselves?

It took me awhile to figure this out. It wasn’t until I started getting my nails done once a month that I realized how relaxed and recharged I became. I leave the nail salon a new woman.

It also help remind me that when everything around me looks like a hot mess, at least my hands look put together…and that’s what’s really important.

But seriously though, when you take the time to do something that recharges you or helps de-stress, then you can give more to your family. It’s not a bad thing to allow yourself that small break. It’s ok to take time out for yourself.

I’ll say it again, sometimes you need to focus on yourself.

Your mental health is vital to your survival.

It really is. And treating yourself doesn’t have to include spending money. Getting my nails done is just a small treat that I do for myself.

Sometimes I lock myself in the bathroom with a glass of wine, a facemask, and Pinterest. This will mostly occur if my husband’s home so that he can be in charge of the kids (safety is key), but being able to lock myself away for 30 minutes makes me feel brand new.

I also enjoy video games when the kids go to bed to get some aggression out if I’ve had a stressful day. It’s healthy and enjoyable.

Reading a good book can help.

Or even just taking a quiet shower may be the ticket.

Like I said they don’t have to come with a price tag, but you have to find something to help clear your mind even if it’s for 20-30 minutes a day or even a week.

Also make sure it’s a healthy outlet.. not sure why I needed to include that, but just in case. Pick a healthy outlet to make you feel new again.

Remember

When you take the time to care for your mind, body, and soul, you allow yourself the strength to tackle anything.

You allow yourself to be the amazing mother and wife that you absolutely are.

Because we all need a little reminder, that we matter as well.

And that it’s ok to

Take Care of Yourself!

-T