Practicing Self-Care on Mother’s Day and Everyday
After over a year of quarantine, we are all beginning to return to an increasingly active world. As Mother’s, you find yourself wearing one or more of many hats – caretaker, worker, housekeeper, driver, educator… just to name a few. Often times as caretakers and mother’s, you place yourselves last on the list of priorities placing everyone else’s needs ahead of yourselves. You may find it difficult to find time for yourself, and give yourself the same importance you give your children and others.
You may feel guilty saying no or fearful of being perceived as uncaring if you don’t give in, finding yourself stressed and overwhelmed. But ask yourselves, if you ignore your own needs, wants and desires, how capable are you of taking care of others? Self-care is necessary and one of the best things you can teach your children.
Self-care is not selfish.
Putting yourself first, at times, is not selfish.
Taking time for yourself is not selfish.
Self-care is the act of giving yourself time to engage in activities in order to gain or maintain an optimal level of physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social, and professional wellbeing. It’s creating a healthy work/ life/ family balance. It’s incorporating activities into your life that make you feel good such as making time to go to the gym, planning a lunch with friends, reading a book you’ve been putting aside, mediating, going to the beauty salon.
It’s taking care of yourself and giving yourself the same compassion you give others.
Implementing self-care tactics can be challenging, but it is essential. Begin developing healthy self-care habits today, and it won’t be long before you see and feel the difference in you. Talking and working with a therapist can help you find which areas of self-care will be most beneficial to your overall wellbeing. To learn more about individual therapy click here.