Ok! I admit it! I have completely fallen off the SELF-CARE wagon the past 7 months!! I have a good excuse though- giving birth to my 3rd child, sleepless nights, nurturing my marriage, making sure my other 2 children’s needs are met, nutritious meals…..blah blah blah blah blah! No excuses, right? I’ve just fallen off!
Once we have fallen off the wagon, so to speak, I think it is really easy to just stay on the pavement where we’ve hit the ground. The positive rewards we received from being on the wagon are quickly forgotten as we fall into old habits and they become a part of us. Honestly, this is what happened to me. I told myself, “Once the baby is sleeping more. Once my oldest goes to school. Once I’m not so busy at work. Once this, once that!” Then I found myself just forgetting the importance of doing it when I could actually make the time. I was recently inspired by Teri Claassen with her blog, “Self Care Resolution” http://www.imaginehopecounseling.com/tcblog and then again this week with Elizabeth White’s blog for The Confident Mom http://www.theconfidentmom.com They both talked about the importance of taking care of ourselves as Mom’s. We are the mortar of the family, as The Confident Mom says. If we don’t take care of ourselves, who will? Then what will we have to give to our family?
So the past couple of weeks, I have decided to get back on the wagon. I am doing my Yoga again at night, put myself back on my schedule once a week for “me time”, and have been putting more girls nights on my calendar. IT FEELS SO GOOD! I had forgotten what a natural rush my body feels after each Yoga session. how much I enjoy the quiet of “me time”, and how good it feels to catch up with my girlfriends. All important parts of my self-care. I am reminded of how much better I handle my children’s temper tantrums. It’s much easier it is to listen to my husband, truly listen. I just feel better about me, which pours onto my family.
This is also a great reminder for us all, too, that there are seasons in our lives when self-care just naturally takes a back seat. Unfortunately, there is only so many hours in the day. When you have a newborn and multiple other responsibilities, self-care will be more about getting a shower for the day or having 5 minutes alone at night before falling asleep. Self-care will look different at different times. But it is important not to let ourselves get in the rut of continuing the “just 5 minutes or just a shower” when we can take time for more. Get up off the pavement and get back on the wagon! I’m loving it!!
If you are on the wagon, pat yourself on the back. If you’re off the wagon, what can you do today to get back on the wagon? I would love to hear your comments! Thank you for reading! Have a wonderful day!
*Natalie Chandler, MA, LMHC is a therapist at Imagine Hope Counseling Group. Natalie enjoys doing marriage counseling, individual counseling, and couples counseling. We also specialize in family counseling, child, and adolescent counseling. Imagine Hope serves the Indianapolis area including the surrounding areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, and Zionsville.
I would like to say thanks very much for the job you have made in writing this piece of writing. I am hoping the same effective work by you later on too.