“Self-Care is giving the world the best of you instead of what’s left of you.”
Katie Reed
As I sit here on a Sunday evening before the start of another work week, I’m torn between feeling grateful for all the time I got to spend with my boys this weekend and also bummed I didn’t get to finish my to-do list or spend any time by myself. You see, it’s ok to feel both. Being a mom is hard. Regardless of whether you work inside the home, outside the home, or a little of both, taking care of everything and everybody can be draining, and yet somehow you are supposed to find time to fill your own cup as well. We allow ourselves and society to place some lofty standards on us, moms. I don’t know about the rest of you, but as a mom who works full-time outside of the home with two young boys (ages 4 and 18 months), most days I am trying to survive, not thrive. Yes, I chose to become a mom, and I would not change it for the world, but that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to have time or goals for myself.
Spring is the perfect time to reevaluate our needs and goals. As the temperatures are warming up and the sun is making more and longer appearances it can give us a renewed energy and fresh desire to do more (however that might look for you). Spring brings new life, fresh blooms, and a reprieve from cold weather and constant illnesses (or so we hope), but it also brings spring activities for our children, yard work, and spring cleaning. If we don’t identify and earmark time for ourselves now, then before you know it, three months have come and gone, and you never met that friend for lunch or cleaned out the hall closet you were hoping to get to.
We are constantly caring for others, thinking of others, and planning for all scenarios, but it is ok to care for ourselves as well. You are worthy and deserving of your own time. Read that again. You are worthy and deserving of self-care. Self-care looks different for everyone and doesn’t have to be expensive or an all-day activity. Maybe you just want to finish that craft project you started years ago, order updated pictures for frames around the house, or take a walk a couple of times a week by yourself – whatever it is, I want to challenge you to identify what would help you to be a better version of yourself for not only you but your family and make a plan on how to obtain it. If time to yourself is truly a challenge, maybe you are a single parent with little to no support, or your partner works odd hours or is out of town, try to find a way to include your family in an activity you enjoy.
At the end of the day, just remember to give yourself grace because being a parent is not for the weak. You are a better parent than you give yourself credit for, and each day is an opportunity to become a better version of yourself.
Modern Mom