“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others”. — Maya Angelou

Many have said that motherhood is one of the most fulfilling journeys that a woman can embark on. Many have also said that it’s one of the hardest and oftentimes one of the most thankless jobs. Becoming a mom is no doubt a truly amazing human experience but it’s also arguably one of the most selfless roles you can take on.

Moms are caregivers. At the end of the day, many moms have worked to fill up everyone else’s cups and realize they don’t have anything left to fill their own. It’s easy to put yourself last when it’s your job to take care of everyone else, but the truth is you can only do that for so long before you burn yourself out and then have nothing left to give. This is why prioritizing your self-care as a mom is so important.

Happy Mom = Happy Family

If you have pushed yourself to the point of mom burnout, then you know that a role that is already hard has gotten harder. You find yourself being snappy and you are quicker to yell. You no longer find joys in the everyday moments with your kids but instead, your days are blurring into weeks and you may even flinch just a little when you hear the word mommy yelled out, yet again.

First, give yourself some grace. As we’ve established motherhood is HARD. This is also the reason why prioritizing your self-care is more important than ever as a mother. If you are feeling healthy and balanced, you will have an easier time navigating through the stresses that come with being a mom.

Incorporating mindfulness and gratitude into your routine is one way to make sure you are the best self you can be for your family and others. Start your day with positive affirmations and end them with a quick gratitude list. Allowing yourself these small moments of reflection and focusing on being present in the moment throughout your day will help you manage all of the stressors that come your way daily.

Rethink Your To-Do List

When you’re stressed, it can be hard to be productive or know where to start on your to-do list because the sheer volume of things you need to accomplish can seem overwhelming. Add the schedules and responsibilities of tiny humans that you are responsible for to your already overflowing plate and you’re really in trouble. Writing out the tasks you need to accomplish and creating a plan will almost always relieve some of the stress without even starting the first task on the list.

If you are only filling your schedule with to-do’s that leave you drained you need to review and evaluate. When you’re feeling overwhelmed and like you’ve reached your limit the last thing you want is to add another activity to your plate, but that is exactly what you need. Add in time that is strictly for you and your self-care.

The Self-Care Planner is a great tool to help you do this, complete with instructions and examples to help you reprioritize your days and put more focus on habits that help you recharge and show up refreshed to all of your responsibilities.

Back to Basics

To a lot of moms, the idea of incorporating self-care into their schedules seems logistically impossible but also self-indulgent. This is a common misconception. Many people think of self-care as hour-long bubble baths or spa trips for a mani-pedi. While these types of activities can (and should!) be how you incorporate self-care into your life sometimes, there are a lot of habits you can incorporate into your daily routine that are more realistic and potentially more impactful.

Start small with new habits. Plan to work out a couple of times a week. Unfollow social media accounts that lower your self-confidence. Read one chapter of that book you’ve been dying to jump into each week. Commit to taking a 15-minute screen break every couple of hours of work at the computer. Remember you have to put on your oxygen mask before assisting others.

Looking for More? Check out our Three Ways to Cultivate Mindfulness in Kids Under 10 blog for more self-care tips for moms!