Taking Care of You
1. Wake up early and meditate. I know what
you’re thinking. Many moms already have
poor sleep habits. If you are one of them,
try and experiment with different sleep
methods to find a strategy to get your
younglings to snooze through the night. My
four kids were horrible sleepers. Truly the
worst. Now they sleep soundly through the
night from 8pm-7am. It took some trial and
error, but there are solutions out there.
Morning is a very sacred time between the
dream realm and waking life – a perfect
time to meditate. Meditation is a way to
clear the mind from the worries of the day
and experience present moment awareness.
When you wake up early in the morning,
simply lie there or sit down with your eyes
closed and begin to breathe deeply and
fully. If your mind begins to wander just
bring your awareness back to the breath.
It’s as simple as that. Even if you don’t think
you are meditating, you are still receiving
the benefits.
2. Put ‘Mommy time’ on the schedule. Whether you’re a stay-at-home or working Mom,
it’s important to make some ‘you’ time.
This can be an hour while the baby is asleep
or if the kids are old enough, set up some
boundaries around ‘mommy time.’ I typically give my kids a task and have them
practice silence during this time for my
peace of mind. This is not a chance to get
caught up on work or complete a ‘to-do’
list, but more an opportunity for a muchneeded yoga DVD or even a hot soak in a
salt bath with essential oils.
3. Self-massage. It can be difficult finding time
to get a massage. Between childcare and the
expense of going to a spa, we’re more likely
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to trash the idea. Self-massage is an easy
and practical way of receiving the benefits
of massage without the hassle. This can be
done before and/or after a bath. Start at
your scalp and spend time consciously massaging each area of the body from head to
toe. My rule for oils is that if you can eat it,
then it’s safe for your skin. This routine has
become so important to me that I’ve made
a point to instill it in all my kids by teaching
them (sans the 14 month old) how to practice self-massage. Sometimes I catch them
during the day massaging their own feet
and I can’t help but smile.
4. Tea time. This is another opportunity in the
day when everything stops to settle down
for tea time. Have your kids sit in a circle
with you and enjoy a spot of warmish tea.
Just make sure their tea is herbal tea without caffeine of course. It’s a time to connect,
check in with one another, express gratitude
and set intentions for the rest of the day.
5. Ask for help. There are times when stress
levels reach their peak. Hopefully before
this happens you enlist the help of your
family, friends or husband to pitch in.
Again, spend this time doing things that
nourish your whole being, like going out
into nature to get some fresh air and sunlight, walking on the beach, gardening,
painting, or reading an inspirational book.
In the same ways that kids respond to loving attention, we too as adults reap emotional
benefits from receiving care – even when we
are our own caregivers. Pay attention to how
you’re feeling throughout the day and listen to
the signals your body is giving you. Take care
of yourself, so you are able to properly take
care of your precious tribe.