Wellness: Routine: Self-Care Rituals for Moms
I remember the last few weeks of high school, I was beyond happy it was over. The days were slow as we practiced for our graduation ceremony and sat around chatting about nothing and everything. We had no idea what the future held for us, but our teachers took the opportunity to warn us about how difficult adult life and the “real world” would be. I remember not taking those warnings seriously, brushing it off and looking forward to the freedom of adulthood. Well, I was WRONG! Adulting is tough and can be stressful AF. Of course, you don’t need me to tell you this, you know what it’s like. Add motherhood, responsibilities, work, relationships, the political climate, and rumors of a recession. If we skimped on self-care in 2019, 2020 this is the year to establish a wellness routine and some self-care rituals to get us through the tough moments. I wanted to share a few self-care rituals that I’ve added to my own wellness routine. Listen, I am a believer that self-care must be custom to your needs, you know what they are but if any of these speak to you add them to your routine.
Learn something new.
Isn’t it amazing how excited we feel when we learn something new? I love that feeling. I don’t mean taking a student loan and going back to school but researching something that intrigues you. Reading articles, watching TEDTalks, listening to podcasts and reading books are all ways I learn.
(Tea) Time-Out:
One of the things that I recognized about myself over the last year is my need for timeouts. I had a bad habit of trying to do everything on my to-do list without stopping to take a breather. It was so bad that I had to be intentional about making a change, so I started to do a tea time-out. I make myself a cup of tea because it’s fast, doesn’t require me to be away from my children and focusing on drinking my tea helps me to destress at least for a few minutes. I love taking a tea time-out when I get back home from picking the bigger kids up from school. Just getting the kids in and out of coats and car seats can be draining, not to mention the backseat bickering, so I usually need a minute to decompress before we start homework and our evening routine. It may not be tea for you, maybe you need a snack or to just sit and take deep breaths, but a timeout can be really helpful when you’re busy.
Nourishment
Our bodies need nourishment — there is no escaping it. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I struggle with snacking. I eat clean but snack dirty, really dirty. I’m working through this but 90% of the time, I start my day with a healthy breakfast meal. It’s easy for me to eat healthy in the morning as I feel ill when I had sweet as my first meal, so I load up on a healthy breakfast.
I used to skip lunch frequently or eat junk, but I try to eat lunch on time more often now, starving and waiting until dinner to eat again usually led to some really poor decisions and trips to the drive-thru. Even if we’re out I try to get something that would make my body feel nourished and not stuffed.
I’ve also removed certain foods from my diet, I’ve been a pescatarian since last April and while my goal was to become a vegetarian, I feel much better about my food choices now. My skin and eyes are much clearer, and I feel more energetic. I’m sharing this not to say that you need to become a pescatarian too but, so you can think about what changes you can make in your diet to feel better.
Get Fresh Air.
I mentioned this in another post getting out of the house on a daily basis to get fresh air helps especially if you struggle with SAD, PPD or depression. On the days that I really can’t go outside, I open a few windows even if it’s really cold just to get some fresh air and clear the energy in our home.
Cleaning/Organizing.
Since last November I’ve been purging our home. I have some spaces that I’ve completely conquered and some that my children can tear apart in minutes that I’m still trying to organize so they can’t tear it apart as bad. Decluttering is one of my favorite self-care rituals, and I’ve been donating and selling things we no longer use. I am not a master organizer, I’m focused on learning, so I can do better. In the meanwhile, a cleaning schedule and ensuring that my kids are helping helps my anxiety.
Sleep
I know, I know…moms who sleep are like unicorns. It’s tough if your children are still waking up at night but if you can, trying to go to sleep early at least a few nights a week will help you feel much better. If you’re nursing, take turns with your partner, pump and get some sleep. If I am well rested, I accomplish a lot more and I can think much more clearly. I was able to function on less sleep in my 20’s but these days sleep has become much more important.
What are your favorite self-care rituals?