As a Mum, do you know why focusing on self-care can help you be a better parent and why it should be an essential priority in your life? Think about it for a minute. If you were to sow a seed and didn’t water it enough, it wouldn’t grow right; it would struggle to find the nourishment needed to succeed. So, if you don’t focus on looking after yourself, how will you flourish with your children’s needs?

What happens when you don’t make time for your self-care?

Focusing on self-care can help you be a better parent, but if this is something that you don’t regularly make time for, you may find that not focusing on yourself may start to cause issues with your mental health, you may begin to suffer because of it. Life can start leading you down that dark path, and the struggles of being a parent can become more evident.

Soon enough, you might find yourself on that constant rollercoaster of juggling your kids, getting them to school, going to work, taking the kids to alternative sports, the never-ending housework, and everything else that a mother does for her family. It never seems to end.

You can burn yourself out pretty quickly, which may eventually lead to anxiety or depression. Putting yourself in that position to be a Mum can be overwhelming if you don’t make time. You suffer, and so can your parenting skills.

You may find that you start snapping at your children or partner. All those little things seem to get you all worked up over nothing. You might get to the stage where you do not want to get out of bed because the thought of what you have to get done that day can be way too much for you to handle. You stop becoming the happy person you once were.

When do you ever find the time to focus on self-care?

So how do you find the time to look after your own needs?

Here’s a little secret. It takes you. Self-Care is about taking some time to look after your health, your mental state, your wellbeing. You need to remember that you are not just a mum. You are this glorious Mother who deserves to take some overdue time out for yourself.
Focusing on your mental health is beneficial for you, your kids, and your partner. By doing this, you need to make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating the right foods (with the odd exception, of course), and exercising. A healthy mind leads to a healthy body and having a good balance in your life.

“To be a good parent, you need to take care of yourself so that you can have the physical and emotional energy to take care of your family.”

Michelle obama

Here’s how focusing on self-care will replenish you

• Take a bath, on your own, with wine or drink of your choice, light a candle and put some music on and you will feel like you are in absolute bliss.
• Go for a walk, it clears the mind and lifts your serotonin levels, and you feel so much better for it.
• Grab some gal pals you haven’t caught up with in a while and go out for lunch. It does wonders for the soul to let your hair down and laugh.
• Read a book or magazine. Drifting into someone else’s world for a while is good to let go.
• Go for a massage. A relaxing hour of soothing music and firm but soft hands massaging your body, yes, please!
• Listen to music. Music heals and soothes everything and if you feel like dancing, go for it.
• Head to your hairdresser or nail salon. Those girls always make you feel good about yourself.

Think of something that you loved to do before life got busy. What made you happy? Was there something you used to do but don’t anymore because you don’t have the time? Remember who you are. Take some time for yourself, and you will feel replenished and have the energy to keep up for what you do best.

Just implementing some of these ideas will benefit you immensely and your children for the better. There is nothing better than feeling liberated about yourself and taking time out to be the best parent you can be. 

What happens to you after focusing on self-care.

• Patience: you find that you are calmer and more relaxed dealing with any issues that may arise.
• Happiness: what goes around spreads to the rest of your family.
• Mental health: anything you do that makes you happy benefits your overall wellbeing.
• Parenting: becomes more manageable and bearable in the toughest of times.
• Relief: You are back to your usual self, quite possibly a self improved version of you.

When you feel balanced and happy, it shines through in everything you do. To be a mum is a fantastic journey, and being the best you can, you have to take a break sometimes to feel good about yourself. That is when you parent to the best of your ability, and everyone will benefit from it. Make sure you focus on your self-care today, as it is genuinely an essential priority as a mum.