As mothers, we often let our needs go and focus all our attention on taking care of others. I’m here to tell you that doing this is not a good idea. If you are not healthy and happy, you can’t properly nurture others. It’s not selfish to make your own needs a priority; it’s good sense.
Let’s take a look at why it’s so important to take care of you:
It is very important to your health and the health of your children to eat a good diet. Eat healthy and try to maintain a healthy weight: This can prevent or control diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. You have more energy and you feel better when your diet is healthy. If you feel ill all the time, it’s harder to deal with everything. I don’t know about you, but if I even get a headache, I get cranky. And not only does eating right improve the way your body works and strengthen your immune system, it provides a good example. ‘Eat your vegetables’ has a lot more weight when we’re eating them as well. We want our kids to grow up healthy, too, and a good diet is part of that.
Getting plenty of exercise is also important to your health, both mental and physical. Have you had a stressful day? Working out or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down. Exercise actually floods your body with natural chemicals that leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. A happier, relaxed you means happier, more relaxed children. Physical activity also makes you stronger, and can help keep weight under control. Exercise. Really. You’ll feel better, and again you’ll be giving your children a positive example.
Give yourself a treat once in a while. Yes, you should, and yes, you do have time. It’s just as important to have a beauty routine or a ‘spa day’ as it is to eat healthy and exercise. It relieves stress and makes you more confident. The things that make you feel better about yourself also make you look better – bonus! There’s a great product at StocknGo called the Pamper Me Gift Basket, and it’s designed to do just that. It has everything from Kim Kardashian perfume to a sleep mask to an exfoliating glove, and it will make you feel like a new woman.
Take care of yourself, and in the process give your children self-confidence. By taking care of your own needs, you prove to your children that you are important. You’re ensuring that your children will learn from your example and always take care of their own needs, as well. That’s important, and it’s necessary. So you see, it’s not really selfish. It’s practical…and fun.
Taking care of you should always be a priority. I know there are times when you can’t go at the top of the list, but you should never be at the bottom, either. You have to strike a balance between the needs of others and your own needs. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself; it’s just good sense.