Chasing your dreams and living your extraordinary life becomes a lot less enjoyable if you don’t take care of yourself in the process. This tip seems to go against all the others, but in reality, they need not be mutually exclusive. The richest, most successful people get their rest and put strict boundaries around their self-care rituals. The point is not to spend all your time working, but to increase quality and efficiency in your work and personal time.
I have always had to work on prioritizing sleep & self-care. As a mom, when time is short, I am the first to miss out. It is a basic fact of life for most moms. However, if you work it into your daily schedule, you will have more days of caring for yourself than not. There will always be emergencies and unexpected things popping up, but you will be better prepared to handle them.
Last week FD2 brought home lice from daycare. She had managed to pass it to both myself and my son. None of us had ever had it before. I was both horrified and overwhelmed. I usually have my son home with me during the days. Instead, I now had both kids at home, a mountain of new work to do cleaning bedding, clothing, blankets, dress-up costumes, brushes, hair ties, and combing out lice. The best part, I had to repeat it all in 7 days, and finally turn to a professional. My self-care for the week was lice removal. Not ideal, but it happens.
Under normal circumstances, my self-care involves taking morning hikes with my son, keeping up on my nightly skincare regime. Eating healthy and trying to lose weight, getting up early in the morning for some quiet and productive me time, and getting a full eight hours sleep every night. I also have one day a week kid-free, so I can catch up and regain equilibrium by gardening, reading, or something else I enjoy. It is not too complicated, but a perfect balance to keep me energized throughout the week.
The idea is to find ways to serve your physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental needs on a daily and weekly schedule.
Physically: Self-care includes getting enough sleep, eating well, listening to your body, and getting exercise.
Emotionally: Self-care involves meditation, self-compassion, making time for any necessary professional support you need, and taking time to appreciate what you have in your life.
Spiritually: Self-care includes connecting with your meaning and inner peace. It could involve practicing your religion, connecting with nature, or exploring art and music.
Mentally: Self-care involves quieting your mind, reducing stress, and exercising it by learning something new every day.
If you find time to care for yourself and tend to your own needs, you are already a step ahead of most moms. You are the CEO of your family, which includes you, so start acting like it. You are cheating everyone if you don’t make yourself a priority.
