3 Tips for Taking Care of Yourself
When our first son was born, my Mom came to stay and spend some time helping me adjust to having a new baby in the house. It was a wonderful, exhausting, amazing, tiring, learning time of life. One of the things that Mom taught me was how important it is to take care of yourself.
She shared the typical plane scenario. Before the flight starts, the passengers are instructed that in the case of an emergency they are to take care of themselves and use the oxygen masks first, then they will be able to take care of the children around them. It’s the same thing with Moms. If we are so tired, stressed and physically out of balance that we can’t function, then how do we expect to be able to take care of our home and family.
Here are 3 tips for taking care of yourself that don’t involve expensive trips or elaborate purchases. These tips aren’t breakthrough ideas, just common sense reminders!
Snack Smart
When I was a young Mom, I would often forget to sit and take time to eat a full meal. Between nursing and changing diapers, it was almost impossible some days to actually find nutritious snacks. Now that my kids are in school and I work from home every day, I still struggle to eat healthy lunches and snacks. Some work at home Moms find themselves eating all day. But I’m the opposite. I often just completely forget to eat lunch and then end up feeling really hungry by the time the kids get home.
One of the things that help me is having the things in the kitchen to make a quick, tasty smoothie. I can add some milk, ice cubes, a scoop of peanut butter, some local honey and the leftover cold coffee to create a smoothie that will carry me past the mid-morning slump. I keep some healthy granola bars and cups of yogurt to give me a boost when I get too busy to stop for lunch. (and yes, occasionally I’ll reach for a bag of M&M’S too!)
Find a Hobby
What do you absolutely enjoy doing? Do you have a hobby that you look forward to each day? I know that life is busy for all of us, but we make time for what is important. Do you love photography? When is the last time you picked up your camera to take a few pictures just for fun? Are you a book worm? When did you last bury your nose in a book for 15 minutes? Do you love history? Why not take 30 minutes and follow those brown historic marker signs that you see on the way home from work like we did last weekend when we were heading to the grocery store.
Recently we took a little time and went out to pick apples at Huber Orchard! What a fun day to make memories and spend time together outside!
Do you need a new hobby? Did you know that I talk about hobbies every day on Hobbies on a Budget! Whether you are interested in travel, books, crafts, or anything else, I’ve got ideas to get you started enjoying your hobby!
Squeeze in time for Exercise
I am no fitness fanatic. I have never been a gym rat or one of those people who loves to get out and train for a half-marathon, but I do enjoy feeling healthy. I want to be able to hike with the family, work in the gardens and go up and down stairs without feeling out of breath. While I’m waiting for the kids to gather their backpacks for school, I’ll do some jumping jacks. If I’m always moving throughout the day, then I am burning calories constantly.
Instead of blocking out an hour every day for a trip to the gym, I work in exercise throughout my day. I typically do my computer work for at least an hour each day while I’m walking on the treadmill. I make it a personal goal to always hit at least 10,000 steps a day.
How do you make sure you take care of yourself? Do you have any tips to make sure we keep our lives in balance?
