Self Care Is Not Selfish
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Self-care is not selfish, then why do most mothers feel guilty after taking 30 minutes for themselves? Especially with the current situation we are all in with having to partake in with social distancing, self-care is even more important right now for our mental health. Before becoming a mom, there was more than enough time to do everything, including self-care. Now it seems that if I have some down time I feel like I should be working to make more money for our family, cleaning the house, prepping a Pinterest worthy craft for when Giulian wakes up, organizing another closet or prepping the perfect meal for dinner, etc. The list goes on and on, truly the list seems never ending as a stay at home/ work from home mom. There is always more I could be doing to be and do better. Don’t get me wrong please, those things are amazing and I’m a huge believer that we should push to be our best. But there’s another component to “becoming our best” that we should also discuss. What if neglecting self-care is selfish? What if it’s actually the opposite of what we’ve thought?
When I’ve had moments of silence, time to read a book, time to work out, shower, sip a cup of coffee while watching the cars drive by, anything like that, I become more relaxed, less anxious, more patient, able to focus better and more joyful. All of which make me a better mother, wife and individual. When I’m constantly on the go and don’t take a moment to refresh or recharge I get irritated easily, overwhelmed and my patience runs thin. I find myself anxious and exhausted, all of which make me feel like a worse mother and wife. So, that proves that neglecting self-care is actually more selfish than taking the time for self-care.
Have you ever heard the story about the cup being so full that it pours over into everything else? That’s the same with our life, the more our cup is full then the more we can pour into everyone else’s cup. The more energy, time, joy, wisdom, light, etc. we have to give to our loved ones.
I believe self-care looks different for everyone. Maybe your cup gets filled when you read the Bible, take a walk, get a tough workout in, drink a cup of tea, get your nails done, your hair done, pamper yourself at home with your favorite products. Not everyone will feel refreshed by the same things, but if you find what fills you up, do more of that.
It’s easy to make excuses like “I don’t have the time” or “I don’t have the money”, but the reality is those are just excuses. Everyone has the time, it’s just about making the time and making your self-care a priority. If you’re intentional about it and schedule it into your calendar, it’s a lot more doable. And it doesn’t have to be expensive either, you don’t have to get a fancy blow out at the salon to feel pampered and refreshed. The other day I took a long warm shower and afterwards I applied some of my new Dove Nourishing Body Care Beauty Cream and Rich Nourishment Cream, which smell amazing. I curled up, read a book for a few minutes and it was wonderful. All of that was only about 45 minutes but I felt refreshed and grateful that I had a moment of self-care. The Dove Body Cream is now available in value stores such as #DollarTree, #DollarGeneral, and #FamilyDollar. You can also order it online, making it safe and easy to order during this quarantine time. It’s an affordable way to feel pampered.
During quarantine, make sure to stay safe and shop at home. You can find out more about this product HERE.
My hope is that in the next decade, self care for women becomes more common and the guilt attached diminishes. I pray that the concept of filling your cup so you can overflow into other’s lives becomes a more understood idea. Mamas reading this, if you haven’t had time for yourself recently, I encourage you to take that first step, ask a loved one to watch your kiddos for an hour, turn your phone off, and take care of yourself. Pray, pamper, read, relax… something that fills you up.
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Comment below sharing your favorite self-care activities, and remember self-care is not selfish.
This post is sponsored by Dove. All opinions are my own.
