By Angeli Marie Shaw
Let’s face it. As a parent, we need all the help we can get when it comes taking care of ourselves. You know self-care should be a priority, but amongst the juggle of work, school drop-offs, grocery shopping, meal prep and other responsibilities, the needs of your family always seem to come before your own. Even at night, once the kids are settled and finally in bed, you tend to use this quiet time to catch up on things like housework, and when you finally sit down, you’re overcome with such exhaustion, that the thought of doing something for yourself seems all too hard.
For myself, now a mum of 3 boys, I vividly recall a conversation I had with my husband before we became parents, telling him “I need to put myself first. I’m my number one”. When my husband questioned what I meant, I told him that I believed in order for me to be the best version of myself as a mother, partner, friend, etc., that I needed to fill my own cup first, therefore putting myself first. Think of it this way. In an emergency situation, we’re told to first put on our own oxygen masks, then help those around us, so why not apply this to life in general? Instinctively, you might think this is selfish, but if you take the time to really think about it, is it?
So how do we make time for self-care when everything around us seems to revolve around everyone else? Here’s my 4 must-knows.
Mindset matters
Being in a good headspace makes taking care of yourself easier and one way our daily mindset is determined is by the story we tell ourselves every day. We can’t change what happened yesterday and tomorrow hasn’t happened yet, so let’s focus on what’s right in front of us – this moment.
What story are you telling yourself when beginning your day? You are in fact a storyteller and this life is your story.
A major way that storytellers plant their values and lessons is to be in the moment when telling the story. Sharing a positivity story every day with yourself not only drastically shifts your mindset but drives you to be subconsciously manifesting good things! Through our stories, we can reveal the motivation and strength we need to take on our day, overcome our challenges and take better care of ourselves.
Take care of YOU
When was the last time you did something just for you? For many of us, we’re wearing the many hats of parent, partner, friend, teammate, son or daughter and even business owner. All of these hats have one thing in common – all of our energy is dedicated to something other than ourselves.
Filling your own cup first is important to continue filling others’. If your cup is full, then you are able to share the overflow without leaving yourself feeling depleted or empty. Schedule self-care into your weekly routine, even if it’s a short amount of time, and make the most of it. Whether it’s your favourite hobby, meditation sessions, special rituals just for you such as a face mask or bath (or both! Treat yourself!) or just some downtime on the couch, self-care is crucial for everyone.
Remember, self-care is not selfish.
