Self Care, Fast Self Care, Mom Time, Personal Care, Self Support.
When I first became a work at home mom, I was in overdrive trying to balance everything. It was exhausting! I felt like I never got it all done. The day would end, and there would be reminders everywhere of how I did not keep up.
Dirt on the rug.
My son asking me to play cars, again.
My husband asking “So, what’s for dinner?”
Realizing that I never took my hair down from the messy bun I slept in.
All of these things (and more) caused my inner critic to get louder. I was failing and I became harsher on myself to get it done. I’d wake up earlier, I’d come up with schedules, I’d hire help. All of those ideas are great! However, I was missing something critical. Taking care of myself.
Self care is simply taking care of yourself, but it’s not always easy. Simple, but not easy. As women, we tend to place others before ourselves and consistently doing that can send a reinforcing message that our needs are optional. Sometimes, we even begin to identify positively with self neglect by telling ourselves we are accommodating and agreeable.
The thing is, we are better mothers, wives, friends, daughters… when we take care of the person that they all love. We feel better about ourselves when our own needs are met and then we are able to show up as a happier, more relaxed person. When I started prioritizing self care, the dirt on the rug I talked about earlier disappeared. Not because I suddenly had time to vacuum it! (Although, sometimes I did.) It was because my mind was soothed and I literally stopped noticing the reminders of failure around me. Instead my mind was able to focus on the things I accomplished: a project a work, my sons laughing together, and the smell of a quick 15 minute sheet dinner roasting in the oven.
The quickest way to care for yourself, is 30 Seconds to Self Care. Each one of these suggestions should take 10-30 seconds, but have a lasting effect. If you need to, do them longer or repeat until you feel cared for. Try to clear your mind as much as you can and put your focus on the care you’re giving to yourself for those 10-30 seconds.
- Drink a glass of water
- Take deep breaths: breathe in through your nose for at least 5 seconds, and out through your mouth for 5 seconds. Bonus if you can manage to focus that breath into the deeper parts of your belly! Research shows deep belly breathing is most effective.
- Go stand outside and get sun on as much skin as you are able
- Turn on some music. Search “432 Hz” playlists on YouTube or other calming, encouraging music.
- Sit in an inverted position. Place your bottom up against the baseboard and your legs straight up against the wall. Your back, head, and neck should be against the floor.
- Wash your face with water. Do a simple 2-3 step skin care routine.
- Order the pizza. Sometimes, simply taking something off your plate is self care. Give yourself permission to do something easy.
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