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Five Daily Self Care Tips for Women on the Go
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Did you know that 1 in 5 adults in America struggle with some form of mental health. Whether ignited by kids, relationships, or careers, stress seems to be a part of life for many (especially women/mothers).
Another astonishing fact is that allowing stressors to accumulate can affect your mental and/or physical health, which can lead to a number of complications that are easily preventable.
Self-care does not need to be daunting. There are many quick, easy practices that can be integrated into your daily routine easily. Below I’m sharing 5 simple self-care methods that I have adopted into my lifestyle. If 5 seems like too many, try starting with one or two than gradually adding more as you need to.
Try waking up an hour earlier - This may seem impossible at first but trust me, the time you have without the distractions from kids is priceless. Take the time to do the things that are harder to do with kids around. Have a cup of coffee, catch up on emails, workout, walk the dog. Do something that makes you feel good. As I’ve gotten older my body naturally wakes up an hour or so before my youngest wakes up. Many mornings I fight myself to “get more sleep” but recently I’ve embraced the quietness of this special time. I don’t turn on the t.v. and for the first couple of minutes I just lie in the bed to the beautiful chirping of birds. I also take these few minutes to thank God, pray, and scan my day’s plans. Am I working out, what am I cooking for dinner, are there any pertinent appointments or things that i need to do? Just this small amount of time and planning makes a huge difference in how my day develops. I find that I’m less stressed when I have a plan and a routine in place. This doesn’t mean that my plans always happen without hiccups but I'm better prepared to face these hiccups with a plan in place. I saw this quote somewhere and I love it “Wake up ready for your kids not to your kids”.
If you look good, you feel good - You know the saying. Take time and effort to make yourself look and feel your best. When you look good your confidence takes a boosts. A confident person typically approaches daily tasks with positive energy. One of my New Years resolutions was to begin exercising consistently. Trust me it came with opposition and especially laziness (lol). But let me tell you my exercise routine has become my most sacred time of the day. It is my time to focus on nothing or no one except me. I had to realize that this isn’t selfish it‘s necessary for my mental health. The results I see makes me proud of myself for sticking with it and honestly it makes me a better wife and mother to my family.
Get outside - There’s so much healing power outdoors. The fresh air, blue skies, warm sunlight, and the calming sounds of nature. Taking a walk and embracing these things can help you appreciate life and lift your spirits. My daily walks with my pup Zoey have often been my most powerful therapy sessions. I‘ve grown to love taking in the consistency of nature. The trees, bugs, birds, and even our pets go on about their routines in the mist of predators, weather changes, and I’m sure obstacles. I remind myself that if they can go on without worries so can I. Often times when we’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious it’s important to remember there’s a beautiful world outside of our four walls. Just taking 5-10 minutes to appreciate the beauty, consistency and sounds of nature is healing to the mind.
Focus on growth - No matter how small an accomplishment may be, focusing on the tiniest progress can help change your perspective. Take the time to develop your interests and nurture your hobbies. Set goals and work on accomplishing them daily. I remember when I decided to create and launch Shiny Nickel Beauty. I was met with opposition within my own self. “You’re too old, this has been done already, others are doing beauty websites and channels better, this isn’t going anywhere", are just a few of the excuses that ran through my mind daily. But I fought through those voices and decided I’d do it anyway, with doubts and all. I worked at it daily little by little. Let me tell you, the sense of accomplishment I felt when I finally finished building and launching this site was worth it. No it’s not the most popular or perfect for that matter but I will continue working at it daily because it’s my passion. Simply changing my perspective by focusing on the positives instead of the negatives is self care in my opinion.
Find time for You - This can seem impossible, I know I get it, but honestly it’s the healthiest thing you can do for your mental stability. Without this “me time” you may find yourself becoming resentful, frustrated, or even depressed because life becomes all about the comfort of others (kids, spouse, careers, etc.). I have two children, a 20-year-old and a 3-year-old 😲 Well I learned this powerful lesson now that it’s my second time around at the parenting rodeo (lol). With my first son I thought it was selfish of me as a parent to take “me time”. I rarely left him, hardly dated, and mostly did things that included him. I have no regrets, but this time around I realize the importance of taking time for myself. He still gets 100% of me and I will always be present and accountable to him but taking time to read a book or magazine, setting the occasional spa day or girls night out, date night or quick weekend getaway isn’t going to hurt him. In fact, it’ll make me a better mom for both of my kids. You must remember that YOU are a special and unique individual too, not just a mom or wife. Nurture your uniqueness!
Even adopting one of these and incorporating it into your daily self care routine can change your life and perspective tremendously. Start small and build gradually. I’m also listing below some other helpful self-care practices that you can adopt to help curb frustration, anxiety, or depression.
