Self care is a great thing. On the surface, it may seem selfish–like you shouldn’t take the time and effort for yourself. However, it turns out that you can be more present for other people and more loving when you have been taking good care of yourself.
Moms are notorious for not spending much time and effort on self care. Being a mom is a demanding job, and you can know for sure that how well you take care of yourself will influence how good of a job you do caring for your kids.
But moms aren’t the only ones who neglect their self care. Use this opportunity to evaluate how good you’re currently doing in taking care of yourself. And check out this list of ideas for self care. The list can’t possibly be all-inclusive. These things are listed here to get you thinking about how you can improve your own self care.
- exercise, e.g. walking, going to the gym or an exercise class
- stretching
- eating nutritious foods
- drinking plenty of water
- getting enough sleep
- massages
- manicures/pedicures
- a new hair style
- reading for pleasure or personal development
- wearing clothes that make you feel great
- cleaning/de-cluttering personal space
- meditation
- journaling
- Bible reading
- prayer
- breathing exercises
- enjoying a fire in the fireplace
- petting the cat or dog
- talking with supportive friends
- participating in a community of personal development
- getting coaching/mentoring
- vitamin supplements
- laugh
- play
- calming music
- energizing music and dancing to move some energy
- delegate/ask for help
- take a bath
I hope these ideas inspire you to invest more time, effort and money into your own self care. Explore and try different things. You can do something because it’s easy. Or you can find which things give you the best return on investment. You’ll need to find what works best for you. Remember that you can’t be a maximum blessing to other people if your only taking minimum care of yourself!
