Eating mindfully
Eating mindfully is a great way to slow down and enjoy your food. Instead of eating in front of the TV, computer, or whilst doing chores, take time to focus on the taste and texture of your food. Try to eat foods that will fuel your body, like proteins and veggies.
Workout smarter, not harder
Working out is one of the most effective ways to improve your health and mood, but it's also easy to get in over your head if you're not careful. Workouts should be tough enough to make you sweat, but not so hard that they leave you feeling exhausted or injured. If it takes longer than 30 minutes to complete a workout, including warmup and cooldown, then it's probably too long for busy moms who have other things on their minds besides exercising!
As far as intensity goes: if your heart rate gets close to maximum during any given exercise session, or if the workout leaves you feeling sore for more than 24 hours afterward, then it might be time for some less intense alternatives such as walking instead of running or strength training instead of cardio. This will help prevent injuries while still providing plenty of benefits like improved muscle tone and cardiovascular endurance.
Self-care every day
Self-care is an important part of staying healthy, but it can be hard to fit in when you're busy with the kids and all their activities. If you want to take care of yourself, start by making time for self-care every day.
Here are some ideas:
- Take a bath or shower with some good-smelling body wash or bath salts.
- Get dressed up in something that makes you feel pretty, maybe even put on makeup, it'll make you feel better about yourself.
- Free up one hour a week to do an activity you like doing, like yoga, a cycling class, reading,...
Shut down the screens.
An important step is to shut down the screens. You might be surprised to learn that even when you're not looking at them, they are still "on." When you're enjoying some self-care time, try to not look at your phone so it can't distract or disturb you. The blue light emitted by electronic devices can also disrupt your circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep, and stay asleep at night. So turn off all screens an hour before bedtime and keep them out of sight in your bedroom if possible, or at least put them on Do Not Disturb mode.
Moms can be busy but need to focus on taking care of themselves too.
When you're a mom, it can be easy to forget about yourself. You're busy taking care of everyone else. But if you don't take care of yourself first, then how can you really be there for anyone else?
You need to make sure that your health is a priority. You may not have time or energy for regular workouts or meditation sessions right now, but like discussed above, there are still things that can be done on an everyday basis to help keep yourself healthy and happy.
Conclusion
If you're feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be done, remember that it's ok to take care of yourself first. It may seem selfish at first, but taking time for yourself will actually make you more productive and able to take on the tasks at hand without getting burned out or stressed out. Take some time each day to do something relaxing such as reading a book or listening to music, whatever makes you feel happy!