Why Self Care Is Critical For Working Moms to Succeed

Why Self Care Is Critical For Working Moms to SucceedWhy Self Care Is Critical For Working Moms to SucceedOf all the tips for working moms, the very top of the list has to be taking care of yourself. Moms needs often seem to come last. After your kids, their dad, your job, the pets, and endless errands, there is the one and only... you. Theres just not enough time in the day to get everything done, so your running shoes or novel or bath salts or strappy sandals just gather dust. But you cant always stay on the back burner. Here are four reasons its important for working moms to take care of ourselves If Mama Isnt Happy, Nobody Is When mom is stressed or burnt out, everyone in the house suffers. Even a baby gets fussy when his mother is upset. Older children may respond to a tense mom by acting out. If you take an hour or just ten minutes to do whatever makes you feel good the rest of your day will be easier and more fun. Your family will enjoy having an energetic and refreshed mo m, even if they complain about your absence. The bottom line is by paying attention to your own needs, youll be better at meeting everyone elses. Stress and Sleep Deprivation Cause Weight Gain Stress and sleep deprivation releases cortisol into your bloodstream, which triggers fat storage around your waist. No wonder its so hard to lose that pregnancy weight while getting up every three hours with a new babyWho knew? Not only is it demoralizing to carry more weight than your ideal, but it also increases your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis, among other conditions. And we all want to live long enough to play with our grandkids, maybe even see them get married, right? So the next time youre tempted to stay up until midnight sorting, folding, and putting away everyones laundry, go to sleep. You can just dress the kids out of baskets of clean laundry. Similarly, taking your work lunch break to exercise can actually give you a burst of energy and mak es the afternoon more productive. Other People Are Capable, Too So many working moms fall into the superwoman trap, thinking we have to be in dienstgrad of everything because were the only one who will do it right. That mentality not only overloads you with work, but it also doesnt give enough credit to your other family members (aka your support system). Even worse, it prevents them from learning skills that can lighten your load and make them feel more capable. Try leaving the kids with their dad or grandfather for a Saturday morning while you have brunch with your girlfriends. He may not change the diapers as often as you would, or feed them perfectly balanced meals, but I bet theyll have fun. And not only will he feel rightly proud of his caregiving ability, but your children will also develop independence, seeing that theyre all right without mom hovering nearby all weekend. At work, see if theres a junior employee looking to advance.Perhaps theyll be interested in some wor k you can delegate to them. Again, they wont be completed the way you would do it, but youll have more free time for yourself. Youll also be mentoring someone who could use the experience. Life Is for Living This is your life, right now. Would you rather spend it rushing around to schliff your to-do list, or actually enjoying yourself? Dont fall into the trap of thinking youll relax once you reach the bottom of the list there will always be something more to do. Instead, ruthlessly prioritize, eliminate tasks that dont absolutely have to get done and fight the disease to please everyone. If youre having trouble carving out time for yourself, start small. Say you always wanted to meditate wake up five minutes early for some deep breathing and visualization. Or if you miss exercising regularly, schedule a once-a-week power walk during lunch. If its on your calendar, you can plan work around it. And the next time you have some breathing space, dont fill it with errands. Instead, j ust breathe. Edited by Elizabeth McGrory.