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When you first become a parent, everything and everyone makes it seem that the only important thing to do is take care of your baby. Mom self-care is not talked about a lot but is essential. While taking care of your baby is critical, if you as the mom are not doing well, your baby won’t do well.
When people ask about the baby or kids a lot of times, they forget to ask how you are doing, and it can make you feel small or that your role as a parent is not as important. As a mom of a toddler, being in that space and understanding the feeling got me to really start prioritizing myself over my child so that I could be the best version of myself for my child and family.
It’s not something that happens overnight, and in the early weeks and months, it can be hard to do. However, these five hacks have made being a mom less daunting and allowed the fun to return when it comes to parenting.
This post is about mom self-care.
Get Up and Get Moving
Moving your body is very important for your mental and physical health. I can release stress, become a great distraction, and allow you to escape the nuance of parenting for a few. If you live in colder climates, you might not be able to go outside until the weather changes. However, you can create a space in your home to get moving.
Some of the favorite exercises for moms that are also family-friendly include:
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Walking
- Lunges and Squats
These are exercises you can do throughout the day and don’t require you to break out in a deep sweat. Playing with your kids is another excellent way of getting up and out. If you have small children, dancing with them, have them run around at the park or play pretend with them. Not only does it have significant benefits for the kids, but it’s a great way to bond while also doing something for you in case you can’t always have a break from the kids.
Pamper Yourself Daily
Finding time to pamper yourself is hard as a mom. With all the responsibility that motherhood includes, you can’t even see the time to go to the bathroom yourself. There is a way to do this if you are doing it in a way that creates a boundary for yourself. You will see that it is possible and that you can be successful in doing it.
Create a Morning Routine. This can be five minutes of uninterrupted time focusing on your skincare. Some products that can create good skincare for the face and body and have been a personal favorite of mine:
– Proactive
According to April
– Aveeno
– Cerave Eye Repair Cream
You can do this before the family gets up in the morning. You won’t be disappointed how easy this is to do and incorporate into your day.
If you have toddlers, use their nap time to have five minutes to yourself. Having a drink for a favorite snack or even listening to a podcast or book is a great way to reset your mood throughout the day.
Socialize and Make Time for Friendships
Making friends as an adult is very hard. It’s even harder when you became a parent in the last few years with the global pandemic happening. While you might be able to make friends with parents that you see at your kids’ events, depending on age, it can be years before you are in a space where that is possible.
Some are lucky to still be in contact with friends from school, college, or childhood friends, and that can be helpful when needing to talk to adults at times. After having children, it will be harder to maintain some of those relationships, especially if your friends don’t have children, but finding ways to connect will be vital for you as a mom and woman.
Fun activities to do with your friends:
- Travel
- Girls’ Night (At home or out on the town)
- Brunch
- Day Trips
These are just a few activities, but there are more ways than you can find ways to socialize with your friends. Other forms of making friends could include joining your school volunteer club, your kids joining sports teams, or helping at your kids’ daycare.
Eat Well and Things You Love
Who doesn’t love eating their favorite foods? If you’re like me, some of your favorite foods are the unhealthiest things to eat but taste good and make you feel good too.
While eating your favorite foods occasionally is mom’s goal, you will also want to focus on eating good foods. One, because your kids are looking at what you eat, and you want them to see that you are making good choices, you also need fuel to get you through the day of parenting.
Imagine your toddler wants to play with you, but you are always tired. Some of that comes from your diet. I’m not saying that you should completely change your diet and what you are eating, but I am saying that finding a few healthy foods that you can snack on throughout the day is a great start.
Keep in mind it’s best to try and eat these snacks when your kids aren’t around because if you are eating, your kids are eating it as well, so I would snack in your car while they are napping or out of the house. Some snacks that are great for energy that everyone can eat:
- Bananas
- Peanut Butter
- Almonds
- Watermelon
- Greek Yogurt and Granola
- Turkey
- Skinless Chicken
- Blueberries
- Eggs
Seek Therapy for the Best Mom-Self Care
As a first-time mom during the start of the pandemic, postpartum depression and anxiety almost made my first year of motherhood impossible. Motherhood is the most challenging job globally. Without the right tools and resources, it can seem like you are alone and may want to give up.
Therapy is a great way to discover the work you need to do to be the best version of yourself, and the best part is that you can make it all about yourself. There are many different types of therapy, and you can pick the one that works best for you.
Many moms go to therapy at the beginning of their journey, and it’s allowed them to grow and understand better ways of using what they have to make time for themselves and have that “me time” that is needed.
There are several resources to find a therapist, but my favorites are Therapy for Black Girls and Better Help. Both sites offer ways of finding a therapist in your area that can fit your budget and needs. Also, many employers offer discounts or a certain number of free sessions. So you want to look into taking advantage of this.
With the online, in-person, or hybrid options, this is one of the best ways to take care of yourself. Get your concerns heard, and heal from any motherhood trauma that could exist.
On my Instagram, I talk more about my postpartum journey, and I’ve written about it as well. You can click here to read more about it, and you can plan the videos below where I discuss this matter.
No one talks about everything that comes with motherhood, but it’s important to remember that mom self-care should be at the top of all conversations to protect motherhood. Moms can do everyday things to ensure simple steps are taken to take care of themselves. Making yourself a priority will only help your kids, family, and moving forward.
This post was about mom self-care.
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