Mom, Look After Yourself First

As women and moms sometimes we tend to give and give and forget to look after ourselves. It is most important that we take care of ourselves first and then we are more able to look after others. Looking after yourself is important for both you and your family. Here are some suggestions on how you can look after yourself.

Take Breaks

When you work in the workplace you are entitled to an hour for lunch and a morning and afternoon break. As moms we tend to keep going all day and are exhausted by the end of the day. Remember to sit for a while at regular times through the day and then you won’t be too tired at the end of the day. When I was a new mom I used to keep going all day and collapse exhausted into bed at the end of the day, and then I was unable to sleep. It was when I started physically resting for the last hour of the day that my sleeping improved.

Eat right

A healthy body leads to more energy and more productivity during the day. If you fill your body with junk food you will not have as much energy as if you eat only wholesome nutrition.

Exercise

Looking after yourself includes regular exercise. The ideal is 30 to 60 minutes, 5 or 6 days a week. Vary your exercise, otherwise you will get bored and stop. If you exercise regularly, you will have more energy the rest of the day. And that doesn’t include all the other health benefits regular exercise will give you.

Treat yourself

When you are with children all day you give and give with little thanks. You don’t get the verbal reward that you do when you are working with adults. No one will treat you when you’ve had a good day and no one will cheer you up when you’ve had a bad day, so you must treat yourself. I used to keep a box of chocolates and have one each day as a reward for being a great mom. No one saw me being a great mom, so I had to reward myself.

Try and give yourself an appropriate treat daily, weekly and monthly. If you need time away from the children and can’t get a family member to help, then consider a babysitter. There are many teenagers who are willing to look after your children to give you a break.

Buy yourself something, “Just because you like it”. If no one else will buy you a present, then buy yourself one. Buy yourself some flowers occasionally, you deserve it.

Here are a few suggestions on how you can treat yourself: Polish your nails, have a bubble bath, go for a coffee with a friend, go on a date with your hubby or a close friend, read a book for fun, light candles, buy some new earrings, buy new clothes.

Reduce your stress

Examine your life and if it is stressful try and work out how to reduce that stress. Taking regular breaks and treating yourself will go a long way toward reducing your stress.

If you don’t take care of yourself, then who will?