Self Love
Self Care Love
Anyone else out there recognize the need for self care but have challenges actually finding time for it? You’re not alone!
I prefer to shift the focus onto “self love” (might be uncomfy for some but takes less time and often ends up leading to better self care).
I chased after self care for years after becoming a Mama. I poured so much of me into them that there were days I became unrecognizable to myself. I was losing ME. I knew about this so-called-self-care but truthfully in the early years of parenting it felt like a distant dream and in some ways even felt selfish at times. I thought the only way to truly reap its benefits was by going all out with things like spa days, kid-free vacations, frequent date nights, mega exercising to the point where basically none of it happened.
And then something shifted. It had to! I started carving out 5 to 10 minutes a day for myself for simple and meaningful rituals. Some off these were:
sitting quietly with a cup of coffee and listening to favorite music or writing down what I’m grateful for
moving my body for even 10 minutes
a brief breathing or meditation practice
playing my guitar and singing
What I found in that was life-changing. The more I turned to these small rituals, the more desire and space I found for more and more things that provide that recharge. I got hooked on how these tiny acts just for me made me feel, and suddenly “self care” was born!
We know as parents that we need to fill our own cups before we can fill those of our children. In order to greet them with presence and warmth and continue to be a safe space for them, we need to make sure that our own bucket is filled. The grandiose recharges are incredible, of course, but the ones I find achievable on a daily basis are the small boosts and for me that all started with the regular practice of self-love.
Start small! Even 10 min a day to find ways to refuel are better than nothing!
Some homework;-):
Write yourself love notes and tape them up on your bathroom mirror to remind yourself that you’re awesome and that you’re enough!
It’s a start! And so important. When we do these small gestures for ourselves we’re better able to be there and be present for our growing, changing, (sometimes quite challenging) babes.
Here are two links to dive deeper into how we can practice self love and incorporate mindfulness into our parenting:
https://insighttimer.com/blog/how-to-practice-self-love/
https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/mindful-parenting
Try it, and if anything shifts for you, we’d love to hear about it!
*A Here We Grow and Meraki Mama Collective self-love weekend retreat for Mamas is coming to the Blue Ridge Mountains just for you this May! More info coming soon.