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There is no doubt that being a mom is a busy job; there always seems to be something on your to-do list. Taking care of kids is a 24/7 task, and combine that with working, running errands and the million and one other demands on your time, and you can be left feeling pretty exhausted. With so much to do, it is easy to push yourself to the bottom of the pile while you focus on raising your family. This is perfectly understandable, as you have so much to do, some days, it can feel like an achievement to find the time to take a shower and brush your hair. However, the problem with neglecting yourself for a long time is that it can take its toll on your sense of self and impact on your confidence and self-esteem.
With so much to do each day running around after the kids, you may lose sight of who you are as an individual. If you have been neglecting yourself for a long time, it can feel hard to get back into the habit of taking care of yourself. Many parents struggle with the idea of devoting time to themselves as they think they don’t have the spare time. However, taking the time for self-care is not selfish at all. Self-care can have far-reaching benefits. Amid the chaos of running a busy household, worrying about your clothing choices can feel like a frivolous way to spend your time. In reality, anything that makes you feel good about yourself is worth the time and effort. Your appearance can directly impact the way you think, so taking the time to care for yourself is essential.
Changing Your Mindset
If you have got into the habit of not taking care of yourself because you no longer feel comfortable with the way you look, now is the time to change your mindset. Comparing yourself as you are now with who you were before you had kids is a trap that many parents fall into. It is vital not to do this, as you are a completely different person now compared with before you had your kids. Getting back a sense of yourself as an individual is essential, but it doesn’t mean that you need to feel negative about the way you are now. Becoming a parent enriches your life in so many ways, and the experience that this gives you cannot be compared. Learning how to value yourself as you are right now is vital to taking care of yourself and taking back control of your life.
Try Mindfulness
Every parent in the world feels frazzled from time to time. Raising children is a stressful job, even without taking into account the myriad of other things you need to fit into your day. If you are increasingly short of patience, or frustrated, then it is well worth giving mindfulness a try.
Being in the present moment and focusing your mind on the here and now is an excellent way to reduce feelings of stress. When you are stressed, your mind can become stuck on running through worries about the future and dwelling on things that are in the past. Spending your time worrying about the past or future will only leave you feeling more stressed out. Learning how to keep your thoughts in the present moment is a simple but incredibly effective way to reduce your stress levels and to live in the now. Mindfulness isn’t about clearing your mind of all thoughts, it is about not getting caught up in thoughts about the past and future, and simply letting them come and go without any judgment, and then bringing your attention back to the present moment.
If you have never tried any mindfulness techniques before, you may find that it takes a little getting used to and requires regular practice. However, it is more than worth the effort to give it a try, and will soon come naturally to you.
Self-Care
Self-care is so widely spoken about now that it has almost become a cliche. Whether you like the term self-care or don’t, the important thing is that you don’t underestimate the power of looking after yourself. Taking just a little bit of time for yourself can make a whole world of difference to your wellbeing. If you don’t look after yourself, you won’t have the energy to help take care of those around you. Ultimately, when your needs are taken care of, the better you will feel in yourself. This will leave you far better equipped to look after your loved ones without needing to put yourself last.
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Practising self-care doesn’t mean that you need to book in for a spa day each weekend. Instead, self-care can be about making small changes to boost your wellbeing. From swapping your usual hurried shower for a relaxing bath, through to taking a walk outside in the fresh air, these may be small changes. Still, when combined, these small changes will help you to feel far less stressed and will give you the opportunity to recharge your batteries.
Once you start to take care of yourself, it will soon become second nature, and before you know it taking care of your needs and nurturing yourself will become a habit that forms part of your usual routine.
Refresh Your Style
Are you stuck in a style rut? When you are busy, it is far more convenient to rotate the same few outfits each day. Before you know you have your own kind of mom uniform that you put on each day without even thinking about it. Wearing the same clothes day after day can make you feel drab. Giving yourself a style makeover is a great way to feel good about yourself and break free from your style rut. Giving yourself a style makeover doesn’t mean that you need to spend a fortune. In fact, you may already have quite a few items in your wardrobe, which you could reintroduce.
Shopping for some good quality basic items will enable you to build a capsule wardrobe. Having a capsule wardrobe makes it far easier to decide what to wear each day, so there’s less time wasted, staring into the closet, wondering what to wear. This enables you to dress well without spending time trying to put your outside together each morning. Once you have a capsule wardrobe, you can liven it up with accessories by changing your belt, jewelry, or bag to mix things up a bit each day. If you wear glasses, don’t forget to include these in your makeover. Changing the style of eyeglasses that you wear can make a significant difference in your appearance. If you are looking for some inspiration for your new frames, take a look at eyeglasses.com.
While you are busy working on your look, it is worth also making any changes that you have been planning to make to your hair. A change of hairstyle can make a massive difference to your confidence and is an excellent way to kickstart your new look.
No matter how busy you are, you deserve to take some time to care for yourself and to look your best. The feeling of confidence that comes from feeling that you look good is guaranteed to make you feel great too. Appearances are not the most important thing in life, but there is no doubt that taking care of yourself will improve your wellbeing in many ways.
