We are blessed with our children. As a mum, it’s easy though to put everyone else in your life first from the moment you wake to your toddler shouting through the bedroom door ‘What about me Mummy!’ to the moment you brush their teeth at night, read them a story and tuck them in.
Nurturing and self-sacrificing, we can find ourselves dropping everything … forgetting to go to the toilet, never quite finishing that sentence, starting a book three times over. Sounds familiar?
We talk about self-care but what does it mean? Well it holds a different meaning for all of us. It might be taking a little ‘me’ time to enjoy a hot bubble bath, curling up on a chair with some good fiction or a personal development book, getting some fresh air, taking some exercise or simply time out to take stock.
Self-care might also be called ‘pampering’ but that is not doing it justice. In essence, self-care is about replenishing our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies. Quite important then! It is about owning our own growth and honouring our self-worth. It can also increase our confidence and self-esteem in leaps and bounds.
We need to look after ourselves to function at our best whatever hat ‘mum, wife …’ we are wearing. It's about putting on our own oxygen mask first.
A few questions you may like to ponder:
How do you know when you’re running on empty?
How are you feeling?
What do you do to recharge your batteries?
How do you feel when you’re on top form?
What benefits does this state have?
What can you do to ensure that self-care is an integral part of your life and not something you prioritise only when you’re good for nothing and worn out?
So is self-care selfish and should we as mums feel guilty for doing what we need to feed our mind, body and soul? No! We are leading by example and teaching our children to look after themselves and appreciate their uniqueness.
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