Why taking care of yourself not just on Mother’s Day makes you a better mom, especially as we recently celebrated Mother’s Day and May as we know it is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health Awareness Month was started in New Haven, Connecticut in 1949 by the Mental Health America organization which was founded by Clifford Beers to reform the mental health field. This year, the theme of MHA’s 2024 Mental Health Month Toolkit is “Where To Start.” The goal is to provide foundational knowledge about mental health & mental health conditions and information about what people can do if their mental health is a cause for concern.
It’s necessary as moms to understand how important it is to make yourself the priority and not an option and why taking care of yourself not just on Mother’s Day makes you a better mom. Society as a whole has pushed the boundaries so much so that mom guilt and post-partum depression is at an all time high. Whether you stay at home, work from home or work outside the home, moms are experiencing a lack of home-work-life balance that is impacting families everywhere. We moms owe it to ourselves to set WELLthy boundaries in order to make time for self-care and not just on Mother’s Day.
Children are not born to be the center of our universe but are meant to be trained to be part of it. The training is for our children to understand that it’s for their good that Mommy is taking time for herself. It brings the very necessary concept for moms to surround themselves with a nurturing support system that encourages and advocates self-care in their motherhood journey. I am thankful for my circle of cheerleaders in Hubby, my children and trusted friends who understand my need to recharge and renew when needed. I have been embracing every opportunity for self-care as part of my motherhood journey with the belief and understanding that self-care brings me life.
Self-care doesn’t necessarily mean spa day and trips away from home but can be cultivated in your motherhood journey to fit the season you are in and your family culture. What does self-care mean to you? For me self-care means doing something for me on a daily basis like bible devotion, being able to take a hot shower uninterrupted and/or getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep daily. Some days I achieve them all and some days I lose some but that’s what I strive for on a daily basis.
I encourage myself to do something for myself on a weekly basis and it doesn’t have to be the same thing every week. I love working out at least twice a week, whether at home, outdoors or at the gym. I look forward to my bookstore time some other week or simply window shopping for what’s in style currently. Once a month I make time for girlfriend time when I meet a mom friend for coffee or do something together. Also a practice I am getting back into now that our youngest daughter is getting more independent is to get away once a year by myself somewhere where I can recharge and renew.
Another self-care I implemented when I became a mom is the Saturday before each Mother’s Day, I do something for me and/or spend time with a mom friend and venture wherever our mom hearts take us. Last year a friend and I found ourselves at Foxwoods Resort and Casino and it was everything we needed! Hubby and the girls know not to contact me that day unless it’s a life or death emergency which in that case, I know Hubby is more than capable of handling so pretty much it’s really Mom Day.
My heart is for my girls to understand and know that I am not just their Maman and the need for them to enjoy alone time by pressing the pause button to reset and not as punishment. I remember the day when my morning plans got modified because I had forgotten that all three of my daughters were off from school. I could have cancelled my self-care plans of working out and bookstore but decided instead to get my girls involved and we made the best of the morning with an impromptu picnic as a treat!
Motherhood is not martyrdom and it is so easy to stop caring for yourself or to get overwhelmed in the busyness of it all. I can totally relate because I have been there and hit a low point in my motherhood journey so I understand too well why taking care of yourself not just on Mother’s Day makes you a better mom. When you stop taking care of yourself, you are simply bankrupt physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and unable to care for your child or even enjoy the motherhood journey. I encourage you to make yourself the priority and not an option because you are worth it and also owe it to yourself and your family to be your best in order to give your best!
The WELLthy Life NODte:”Motherhood was never meant to put a period to your life but rather a comma in the pursuit of all that God has called you to be and do.” -Nathalie O’Donald
This is so good! Thanks for this reminder. It puts things into perspective and hopefully helps all who ready to recognize that if they haven’t been intentional that it is NOT too late! I will be more intentional with my children and others who look up to me – with God’s help and of course, your wonderful reminders.
Thank you, Nathalie! You are AWESOME and I am blessed by your posts & entries!
Tracy
Thank you so much for taking the time not only to read but to encourage me. I appreciate it so much and love the fact that we are growing together to be better and intentional parents!