Dear Mommy, Take Care of Yourself

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It doesn’t matter how many children you have, you need to take care of yourself.  Moms experience burnout.  I know this because I have and do on the regular.  I preach about the importance of moms taking time for themselves, but I’m horrible at taking my own advice.  But, it’s true.   We’re so busy taking care of our children, husband, and house, we often forget that we have to take care of ourselves.  This leads to mommy burnout.  When you’re there, it’s important to find balance to work effectively.

[tweetthis]We are so busy taking care of [others], we often forget that we have to take care of ourselves. [/tweetthis]

That old saying “Happy wife, happy life” is surprisingly true.  If mommy isn’t happy, she’s exhausted, snippy, and probably running on autopilot.  Everyone feels the pain. And this is mommy burnout.

Simple Ways to Take Care of Yourself

I’d like to share some simple and inexpensive ways to take care of yourself.  Who knows, maybe doing one extra thing today just for you, might give you the feel good boost you needed!  These things don’t take too much time, and you can usually accomplish at least one of them while the kids are in bed, or napping.

• Blow dry your hair.  It’s so easy to take your shower and skip this part.  I know I struggle with it because “I have better things to do”, but man do I appreciate when my hair isn’t unruly when I take the time to do this step.
• Style your hair (curl, straighten, braid).  This is one I do regularly.  It’s part of my day if I’m leaving the house.  When hubby asked why I bother, I told him it’s the one thing I give myself that makes me feel like I’m not a total bum.
• Put on your makeup.  I struggle with this one, but want to slap myself for not doing it more often.  Even just a little bit to hide some of the exhaustion and make me look a little more put together … I feel on top of the world.
• Paint your nails.  This may take a few extra minutes, but you’d be surprised how many people notice this one.  And a little extra attention or compliments goes a long way when you’re usually doing your best just to stay afloat.
• Call a friend.  Spend 5 minutes (or 30) catching up, venting, laughing.  It’s great to reconnect with people who are probably on some spectrum of burnout as well.  You can help yourself and probably make her day, too.
• Make or buy yourself a dessert.  How often are you baking something for the kids, or husband, without regard for what you want?  Tonight, run out and buy a cheesecake that no one else will eat.  Bonus points for making them watch you eat it, wishing they had something cooler than those store bought packaged chocolate chip cookies.
• Read a book. You can buy a book or borrow one from the library, but catching up on some reading sounds good, right?  And seriously, don’t pick out another book on raising your spirited child … read something solely for entertainment value.
• Journal.  I was doing this for a while, and I told myself to focus on the positives.  Most times, I was able to do it with ease, while others … I can be honest here … I failed.  Regardless, writing in a journal can be quick and help you get out feelings or focus on important things.
• Exercise.  This is not my strong suit.  In fact, I hate the idea, but I know plenty of moms who love it.  I did about a year at the gym doing yoga and I felt good, so every now and then, I think about picking it back up.  There’s a wealth of exercise videos online, and of course, there’s always “an app for that.”
• Watch a show you want.  If you don’t feel like fighting your husband for the remote, use your kid’s nap time.  Or go to a different room.  Whatever!  Watch a show for your entertainment.

Try to make it a daily habit of doing something for you, because it’s important for you to take care of yourself.  Your family depends on you, so you need to make sure you’re feeling emotionally balanced and not running on autopilot to make it through the day.  It’s okay to make the laundry wait a few extra minutes or to leave those dishes to soak overnight just this once.

I hope you found my tips helpful to maintain a sense of balance.

Did I miss anything?  What simple things do you do to take care of yourself and find balance?