5 Tips For Staying Physically and Mentally Healthy As a Busy Mama
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Being a parent is a job that never ends, it’s from the moment our littles open their eyes until the moment they close them. My little guy literally sleeps from 830 - 530 most nights. Meaning, I have a whopping 9 hours of “time off” and most of that is me sleeping. It’s the absolute best job in the world, but it can also be exhausting. Something that I’ve found extremely important for my happiness is making time for me, time for my physical health and mental health. The happier I am as a person, the more loving, patient and intentional I can be as a mom. My son is 2.5 years old and in the last 1.5 years I feel like I’ve really caught my stride with keeping myself healthy and happy, despite being a busy mom. I want to share with you my top 5 tips for doing so!
Make Time. Your health and happiness needs to be a priority. You need to be intentional about making time for this. If you don’t schedule time for you, it will never happen. When I start a week, I know exactly how many runs I will be getting in, and typically I know which days I’ll be doing them. I need to know ahead of time so I can coordinate with Nick (the hubbs), so he can help with Giulian during those times. This isn’t just about working out, you’ve gotta schedule time for you too. Things here and there that fill your cup. Whether that be an hour at a coffee shop by yourself, lunch with your girlfriends, a manicure/pedicure appointment, hair appointment, etc. There’s gotta be something in your calendar that is there for you and only you. That’s not selfish, it’s responsible. You don’t want to get to a place where your entire life 24/7 is catering on your husband and kids because you’ll probably get resentful, and if you do… it’s your own dang fault. It’s not their job to schedule things for you, it’s yours.
2. Workout. Find a workout you genuinely love for your mental health and physical health. For me this is running. I ran a bit before having Giulian, but I wouldn’t say I was a “runner”. The real shift for me happened when Giulian was about 6 months old and I started to train for a 10k with my best friends. I’ve since ran two half marathons, and plan to run at least one per year until my bones won’t let me anymore, and I will most likely eventually run a full marathon. I found my groove. Running is like therapy for me, it’s a chance for me to take time and work through my thoughts. You can read more about my running journey in this blog post on “Why I Think Running Is a Positive Way To Workout After Having a Baby”.
3. Morning mommy time. For your mental health, try to wake up at least 30 minutes before your kids. If my son is up at 5 am, this unfortunately doesn’t happen for me, but other than that I try to wake up at 5 am every day to get some me time in. On a perfect morning I would wake up (not touch my phone), get coffee, write my affirmations and gratitude list (I use the Start Today Journal by Rachel Hollis), then listen to my Bible app while I read along. After I’ve done that routine, if Giulian is still sleeping I will start to get work done. You can read more about my morning routine in my “Mompreneur Morning Routine” post. Even if all you did in the mornings 30 minutes prior to your kiddos waking up is drink a cup of coffee and stare at a wall while you work through your thoughts, that’s a much better way to start your morning than frantically being woken up by a crying baby or a late to school teenager.
4.Healthy snacks. Of course eating healthy is important for our physical AND emotional health. The problem is sometimes were so dang busy we find ourselves reaching for the junk food. It’s important to have healthy snack foods around, so when you’re busy and you need a little something to eat, you have a healthy option instead of only the unhealthy option. Find healthy snacks for when you’re on the go that way you don’t get overly hungry and make a bad decision. For me, Lenny & Larry's Keto Cookie™ is the perfect on the go snack! I love that it’s plant based, it can be so difficult to find Keto products that are plant based but this cookie is, and it’s delicious! My favorite is their coconut flavor. It has 3g net carbs, 8g of fiber, grain and gluten free, and the cookies are non GMO project verified. I just throw one in my purse before we go out and about so that I know I’ll have a simple, delicious snack if I need one. You can purchase it in a 4 pack box or by the single cookie and they’re available at Walmart, Sprouts or Whole Foods. I love that it can be found so many different places, that’s so convenient. Lenny and Larry's produces a wide array of nutritious snackable sweets, offering consumers a convenient source of plant-based proteins that taste downright delicious. To see where your nearest retailer is that carries Lenny & Larry’s products click here and to easily scope out all the different tasty treats they have click here.
5. Challenge yourself. When I signed up for that 10k run and then the half marathons, it was a challenge. It was something I had never done before and when I finished I felt amazing, proud and determined to find a next challenge. Challenging yourself and finishing your challenge is an amazing way to build your confidence, which makes you a stronger, better mama. Your newfound confidence will pour over into everything you do. Plus, it’s amazing to have something for yourself. Something that you’re doing for you, not your kids, and not your spouse. I think it’s healthy to have things for you in life, plus you’re setting a great example as a parent that if you want to achieve something, you can. So whether that challenge is signing up for your first run, or just committing to x amount of workouts a week, stick to the commitment you make to yourself and see the challenge through. Show your kids by example that they too can set goals for themselves and achieve them.
I hope you mamas found this post helpful, I truly think it’s so incredibly important to take care of our physical and mental health as mamas. It’s important that our cup is full so we can give our best to our family. Making it a priority and setting the intention is the first step. Comment below if you’d like to share your favorite ways that you prioritize you health, I’d love to hear!
