Most of the moms I know who are stressed out and in desperate need of self-care are the same moms who insist that they simply don’t have time.
Between full-time work; distance learning with multiple children; running a household; building a business; supporting a husband; and being a friend, there just seems to be no time left at the end of the day.
I think a lot of the time, we equate self-care with taking a long bubble bath, or spending an hour at the gym.
What if I told you that some self-care activities could be done in just minutes, or even seconds?
If you find yourself too busy to commit to regular self-care, check out a few of these instant (or almost-instant!) self-care ideas.
1. Stretch
Stand up, put your hands on your back like they’re in your back pockets, and do a back extension. We spend so much time hunched over our computers, leaning forward over the stove, putting laundry away. This simple stretch is SO good for our backs! Then just raise your hands overhead and stretch upwards.
2. Drink water
The time it takes to get up and fill a glass of water, then drink it, can be used as just a minute to breathe. This also helps you to get a little more hydrated, which can do wonders for your mindset and health.
3. Check out the daily story on the Bible app
This is a new feature that has only just recently rolled out. It’s the verse of the day, a 1-3 minute video thought from a pastor or Bible teacher, a quick devotional to read, and then a 1-2 sentence prayer. It’s new every day, it’s not a plan that requires you to stay caught up, it takes only minutes, and it’s always refreshing. If you miss a day, it’s no big deal. You’re not behind, you just check out the story the next day.
4. Use a Stress Away roller
Stress Away is one of my favorite Young Living essential oil blends. I keep a roller in my purse to use any time I need it, and I diffuse it a LOT now being home all the time. If you’ve never used it before, I would be more than happy to send you a sample! Just one quick inhale of this blend and you feel like you’re transported to a tropical island.
5. Pet your dog or cat
Did you know studies show people with pets live longer? Why is that? Because spending a minute petting our furry family can slow our heart rate and release dopamine and seratonin, which regulates your mood and reduces stress. Just make someone else clean up the poop.
- Send a short Facebook message or text to check in on a friend
- Mail a hand-written letter or quick postcard
- Go for a quick, 5-10 minute walk
I also know that the idea of making sure you complete some kind of self-care can feel daunting and stressful in itself, because it’s just one more thing you “should” be doing. If none of these activities resonates with you, find something that DOES.
True self-care is taking care of yourSELF, not anyone else, so you need to find things that make you feel good. If you miss a day, don’t stress.
Just know that YOU are important. You can’t serve anyone if you’re stressed to the point of sickness. It’s imperative that you stay healthy, and one major component to this is finding whatever self-care works for you.
So tell me, if you had all the time and money in the world, what act of self-care would you choose?
I was addicted to candles, fragrance plug-ins, lotions, perfumes, anything that smelled good.
Hundreds of dollars every month would be spent on these products. My entire hall closet was filled with them; it almost looked like the store's storage room!
I began seeing reports on the news about how those fragrance plug-ins were linked to cancer.
I knew I wanted to do better for my family, so I began researching other options. In the process, I learned that it wasn't only those plug-ins; anything with the word "fragrance" listed as an ingredient was dangerous.
"Fragrance", even "natural" fragrance, could be any one or combination of hundreds of chemicals known to cause cancer, respiratory problems, hormonal imbalance, and a whole host of other scary health issues. Headaches, inability to lose weight, moodiness, trouble sleeping...these are all things that can be caused by the chemicals in our homes.
Things like traditional household cleaners, laundry detergent and dryer sheets, lotions, shampoos and conditioners, even baby products.
Why is this possible? Aren't the products in stores cleared for safety?
Not really - not when it comes to these types of chemicals. "Fragrance" is considered a trade secret, which means companies aren't required to disclose what they're actually using to create their scents.
When I started switching out my store-bought products for natural, plant-based products from the only company I trust, I felt so much more confident about what I was allowing into my home and around my family. I knew I was protecting their health as best I could.
I began to notice other positive changes: more energy; better sleep; clean smells; and improved moods, just to name a few.
Do you know how amazing it feels to KNOW that you're doing such good things for your family, and for your own health? Do you know how empowering it is to take control of your health and wellness, and to feel incredible every single day?
Fun Tip: This week, check out the documentary on Netflix called Stink! It isn't affiliated with any company; it was written and directed by a widowed father who was trying to research the products his young daughters were exposed to every day. It's eye-opening and pretty entertaining.
Your turn: tell me what one home product you're addicted to that you stock up on regularly! Have you considered finding any toxin-free, plant-based options?
According to an article on entrepreneur.com, research shows most people complain about once a minute during a typical conversation. That's a LOT! 🤯
Most of the time we complain because we want to "vent", and it just feels good to know that other people feel our pain and empathize with our situation.
When we complain, our brain builds pathways to ease the flow of information, which just makes it that much easier to complain again and again. And again...
Eventually complaining becomes our default behavior, which not only damages our relationships, but it can also physically damage our brain as well.
Stanford University ran a study that shows complaining can damage the hippocampus. The hippocampus is what Alzheimer's primary destroys, so let that sink in for a minute.
You can cause the same type of damage that Alzheimer's causes just by complaining.
Complaining can wreak physical havoc as well. When we complain, cortisol is released in order to prepare our bodies for fight-or-flight mode, and this raises blood pressure and blood sugar. The extra cortisol released also impairs our immune system which makes us more susceptible to a whole host of issues.
Have you heard the saying that you are the sum of the 5 people closest to you? That's because our brains tend to subconsciously mirror the moods of the people we spend the most time with. If you're around people who complain a lot, you can experience the same damage as if YOU were the one complaining.
Likewise, when you complain, you can damage those you love and are closest to you in those ways as well.
In this season of stress and unrest due to the unpredictability of the COVID-19 virus, it is more important than ever to protect ourselves against anything that can damage our immune systems, our bodies, and our minds.
Fear makes it so much easier for us to complain under these circumstances, though, right?
So what can we do to keep ours hearts and minds positive and avoid the damaging effects of complaining, when our worlds feel like they're in a tailspin?
1. Be grateful.
2. Hear truth.
3. Practice self-care.
4. LAUGH!
5. Stay connected.
The next time you feel tempted to complain or release any kind of negative energy, keep in mind that our goal right now is to stay healthy.
Try this: keep a rubber band or hair tie on your wrist and snap it when you notice yourself complaining. You'll start to see just how often it actually happens, and it can be surprising!
Which one of these tips will you try today to help yourself break the habit of complaining and get through this pandemic successfully?
I have been wracking my brain to think of how I can best serve and help you during this time when we're out of our normal routine and thrown into unusual circumstances. I met Deborah and loved how she infused self-care with energy, and I gratefully accepted her offer to guest post on the blog this week.
We all have demands on us that drain our energy. In fact, that is how humans are designed right? We put forth all day and then sleep hard at night!
But sometimes we struggle to really RESTORE ourselves and our energy.
The truth about Self Care that gets lost in pop culture is that it is more than getting massages, or treating yourself to a girls day, or taking the most amazing vacation ever.
Self Care is any intentional action we take that cares for our mind, body, spirit, or emotions. Using that as an outline, let's talk self care!
1. Care for Your Body.
It’s so easy to let caring for your body slide, especially if you don’t like what you see in the mirror. Out of sight, out of mind, you’ve got more important things to do right!??! Wrong!
Taking care of your physical needs is most important, because if you don’t, then you have nothing to give.
It’s so easy to recommend sleep to reenergize, but if you are a mama, sleep doesn’t just come!
So what are other, practical ways, to recharge you throughout the day?
Schedule yourself 10-20min to exercise: yoga, walking, bench pressing babies... 😊
Pause to rest your mind and body for 10 minutes.
Make your favorite smoothie.
Honor your physical space; cleaning can be a gift to yourself.
Celebrate one aspect of your body; this will lift your mood and improve your ability to care for it well.
2. Care for Your Mind.
Mental health is no joke and we see the effects of neglected mental health everywhere.
The truth is, our minds aren’t safe. At some point we can get so wrapped up in our own thoughts and beliefs it can be difficult to untangle them all without professional help.
The first step of good mental health is acknowledging where you are. Is postpartum still kicking your head? Are long, lonely days at home leaving you confused as to the day? Are you struggling with being a working mom, the battle between heart and need? You aren’t alone! So why stay alone?
Acknowledge out loud where you are mentally, telling your partner or a friend.
Remember to take time throughout your day to talk to other adults.
Make a list of topics or tasks that excite your brain, and make time to enjoy them.
Read books and write in a journal.
Remember to dream a little, set your inner creative free, down a happy path, and enjoy the ride!
3. Care for Your Spirit.
We don’t always like to think about our spiritual selves; religion might not be your thing, but you still have a soul.
In ancient Greek the word used is “Psuche” which means breath. The idea is that your spirit is your very breath, it is the core of who you are, and the ultimate purpose in your life. The Greeks also didn’t break humans down into these four parts, instead recognized that they are all one, all interconnected, and all valuable.
In neglecting your spirit, free, religious, or otherwise, you neglect a very important part of who you are and all you can be.
Make time for your daily religious practice.
Identify passions that you can live out every day within mom-life!
Identify your personal values; if you aren’t living in line with these values, you will have inner battles that are very draining. Living aligned with them, you will free up energy.
Take time to identify who you are now, and who you want to be growing forward, and embrace your true spirit!
4. Care for Your Emotions.
Emotions, feelings, are just information telling us about what is happening around and in us.
Because so much can change moment to moment, our feelings can often feel like a roller coaster.
Scientists have now begun to see how these feelings are stored in the cells of our bodies, trauma, anxiety, and such.
Remember that when you feel like you cannot care for your emotional world, that it's too overwhelming, psychotherapy can really help.
Crying is healthy. There is no shame in it. So have that good, cathartic cry.
When juggling multiple emotional worlds, remember your kids' emotions are theirs, they need to learn to process them. While it is your job to teach this, it's not your job to process it for them.
Make a habit to enjoy self-soothing practices, anything that calms and re-centers your emotional world.
Name your emotional need, and learn to identify what meets it, so that you can learn to ask for what you need.
Giggle, flirt, and celebrate life with your partner; it's easy to get bogged down in the emotional depths of life - pause to enjoy the fun parts, too.
Today’s guest blogger is Deborah Sprague, a Certified Professional Coach who delights in helping clients break through barriers and reach personal goals! Teaching others how to Self Care has long been a passion of hers, and her favorite ways of caring for herself are hiking; listening to music; viewing art; and enjoying healthy, delicious, food! She can be found encouraging you to self care on Instagram and Facebook @PsucheLife
