By Sara Haley: Pre and postnatal specialist, MYX Coach
“So are you taking time to take care of yourself?” my girlfriend asked me.
“Me? Oh yeah . . . I’m fine.”
“No, really, Sara. I hope you’re doing some self-care.”
Does this sound like you? If so, you are not alone. Self-care is such a challenging thing to fit in as a mom, especially when many of us are at home taking care of our little ones all day. Sometimes it takes a wakeup call. I have four kids and thought I was handling having everyone home pretty well, but then two weeks ago I woke up with shingles. Yes, shingles. What causes shingles? Stress! I realized then that it was time for me to prioritize my own self-care, and STAT.
After all, you can’t pour from an empty bucket.
Here are 3 ways you can take control of your self-care routine, ASAP:
HYDRATE
Drinking enough water is a big self-care habit that affects my mood, and yet I continue to forget again and again. Why do I feel so hungry? Why do I feel angry? Ummmm... because I’m dehydrated! Sound familiar? Drink your water! Here are some tricks:
Stash water in places other than just the kitchen. Where do you spend the most time? Do you keep any water there? Since I’m currently breastfeeding and spend a lot of time in my bedroom with the baby, I have a little basket by my bed. This way I have water when I first wake up in the morning, when I go to bed, and while I’m nursing my baby.
Sip from a reusable straw. I’m not sure why, but I always down water quicker and more easily through a straw. Maybe you do too!
Get Creative. Infuse your water with fruit and herbs or drink flavored water, sparkling water, hot water, or tea.
EXERCISE
Getting your sweat on has so many benefits but for me, the biggest ones are heart health (live longer), metabolism booster (burn more calories) and induce natural endorphins (increase energy and happiness). Just writing these three things down helps relieve some of the mom guilt I feel when I work out. If you’re a new or expecting mom, I’ve created some great pre and postnatal cardio workouts with MYXfitness, so be sure to check them out guilt-free!
TUNE OUT WITH A GOOD BOOK OR PODCAST
If you can’t find the time to curl up with a good book, download one so you can zone out on the fly. Many libraries offer free audible content. I also highly recommend jumping on the podcast train. Here are a few of my favorite motherhood podcasts:
Atomic Moms with Ellie Knaus is a modern parenting podcast about the joys and complexities of caring for our children and ourselves. If you want something a little more light-hearted, you can listen to my episode with Ellie here where we talk about getting stronger after baby.
Informed Pregnancy Podcast is hosted by prenatal chiropractor Dr. Berlin. He interviews pregnancy and parenting experts, celebrities, and new and expecting parents searching for unbiased information on the most pressing topics for growing families. Dr. Berlin interviewed me here.
Motherhood in Hollywood with Heather Booker gives an honest and funny look at what life is like as a parent in the entertainment business. I was fortunate enough to be one of Heather’s first guests. You can listen to that episode here.
Please take care of yourself. Remember it doesn’t just help you, but those you love most. If you need help with some self-care, consider signing up for Sara’s Free 10-Day Self Care Challenge.
