If you’re a mother you know your job is never done! There is always housework, clothes to fold, meals to make, kids to tend to, and so much more. Our check list is never completed.
Although all of us are super busy, we need to make sure we are taking care of ourselves! This is actually something I am working on because life is happening and I feel as though I can’t keep up so after pondering about this, I can up with this list.
Here are a few things I believe ever mother needs to function properly:
A Break– Right now this is number one on my list. You can easily get drained from everyday chores and demands. But you can never ever just throw up your hand and say “I am done!” Your children need you, your husband needs you, it seems as if everyone needs mom. Well, mom needs some time for herself too.
This not only important for metal health but physical and spiritual health. You need to take time to take a break, to relax to do what you want to do instead of always caring for everyone else but yourself!
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Ideas for taking a break:
- You have to schedule it! Work out a time with your husband that you can get our of the house by yourself. You can go to a Mom’s Night Out activity, grab your lap top and to a coffee shop to browse the web without any kids tugging at you, grocery shopping… by YOURSELF, (now that’s an idea) there are so many things you could do
- Make a list of goals for yourself and write down ways to get them done
- Take a class and learn something new
- Make time to read the bible and pray
- Finish up that craft you have been working on for months
years. - If you will need a babysitter, instead of paying someone, find a friend who you can swap caring for each other’s kids so that you both can have a break at different times
How can you expect to care for your family if you don’t take some time to care for yourself?
A Balance Diet– Nutrition is very important! It can make or break you, the foods you eat can effect how you feel. I am not only talking about a balanced diet for pregnant or nursing moms but moms in general. To be able to handle all of the days demand you need to eat foods that will give you energy and that will also give you all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Good nutrition also boosts your immune system and lowers risk for illness.
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Tips for eating a balanced diet:
- Eat 6 (or more if you can) serving of fruits and vegetables
- Keep yourself hydrated- water is necessary to transport nutrients in your body
- Eat breakfast
- Reduce sugar
- Plan healthy meals (and make it fun for your family)
- Include real foods like: fruits & veggies, beans & lentils, nuts & seeds, meats & raw dairy (and/or probiotic dairy), sprouted whole grains and healthy fats
Exercise– Being a busy mom, I can often find myself putting exercise on the back burner. Either I don’t have enough time or I simply do not feel like it. The Center for Disease Control states that two out of three Americans get little to no exercise and with the rise of obesity we know that exercise is extremely important. Exercise helps you to maintain your weight, reduces high blood pressure, reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, you gain lean muscle and you really do feel better about yourself.
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Tips for finding time to exercise:
- Make it fun! Choose activities you enjoy
- Make time to play with your kids outside (when the weather is nice of course) Set an example!
- If you have a gym membership, USE it! You will get a “break” for your kids while doing something good for yourself.
- Be opportunistic: park far away of the entrance when going to the grocery store, take the stairs instead of the elevator. (I am a mom too so I understand that this cannot happen all of the time, try to do this when you go by yourself)
- Make it fast: I try to do burst training a couple times a week. Burst training is high intensity training for a short period of time, only 12 minutes!
I hope you (and I) and make time to get our needs met so that we can be the best mom we can be!
What do you think ever mother needs?
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