As a working mom life can be a bit too fast and stressful at times. With so many responsibilities at work and home, we tend to forget about ourselves and put ourselves at the bottom of the list. But not making ourselves a priority is an unsustainable way to go about our daily lives and can negatively impact our mental health along with our loved ones.
According to the Office on Women’s Health “More than 1 in 5 women in the United States experienced a mental health condition in the past year, such as depression or anxiety.” As you can see, it’s crucial we as mothers take care of ourselves. So, like the airplane analogy goes “put your own oxygen mask on yourself before you try and help others.”
Here are 3 areas of self-care that we can focus on:
1. Physical Self-Care
A great way to recharge and relieve some stress is by being physically active. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services “physical activity is good for the mind and body.” You also want to improve your sleep hygiene and nourish your body properly to maximize your energy throughout the day. Lastly, it's important to hydrate to prevent you from feeling fatigued.
Some ideas for physical self-care include:
Be active: walk, yoga, stretch, bike, Zumba
Sleep: aim to get 7 to 9 hours per night
Eat complex carbs for long-lasting energy: oats, bananas, sweet potatoes, quinoa, apples
Hydrate: drink half your body weight (in pounds) in fluid ounces
2. Mental Self-care
Improving our mental health can benefit us in many ways; we can enjoy life, our family, and our kids. Prioritizing our mental health can result in reduced anxiety and irritability while increasing our patience, mood, self-esteem, energy, and sense of calm.
Great ways of practicing mental self-care include:
Journal, write, color, and draw
Meditate and practice deep breaths
Read a book
Incorporate positive self-talk or affirmations (ex. "I am powerful and strong," "I am more than enough")
Listen to uplifting music
3. Social Self-care
Research shows there is a clear link between social interactions and health. According to the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, social relationships can improve our health and reduce mortality. We are social beings and are not meant to be alone. It’s important to surround yourself with your favorite people that support you. Some ways to increase these interactions include:
Have lunch/dinner with your favorite people
Spend quality time with loved ones
Volunteer for a cause
Join a book club or a parent group
Have a game night
Lastly, don’t forget to treat yourself. Pampering yourself has the benefits of providing some along time while also making you feel good. Some pampering ideas can include:
Hot bath
Manicure and/or pedicure
Buy yourself your favorite flowers
Sleep in or take a nap
Give yourself a facial
The Bottom Line
We need to be more mindful of our mental health because if we don’t it can result in burnout, stress, exhaustion, irritability, and illness. Therefore, let's recharge and get fueled, get physical, get social, and pampered.
Learn more about Wellness Workdays and our wellness program offerings by
downloading our brochure.
Written by: Sally Silva, Wellness Workdays Dietetic Intern
Sources:
1. Cedar Sinai
2. Healthline