Self Care for Mother’s Day
It’s 9 pm, and you fall onto your couch after a long day of being a personal chauffeur and chef, moderator, therapist, housekeeper, and accountant – and that’s not including what you get paid to do! 🤪
There’s a mysterious stain on your shirt, something sticky in your hair, and you just want to close your eyes. It’s hard to remember the last time you did something for yourself.
Between all the chaotic moments, you are deeply moved by the experience of being a mother. And despite your tiredness, you’ll gladly do it all over again tomorrow (and forever).
Being a mother is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life—I wouldn’t trade it for anything. It can also be exhausting, overwhelming, and, at times, thankless. There have been days when my energy felt completely drained, and it took me years to understand what was really going on and why it kept happening.
I used to hear it all the time: “You have to take care of yourself first!” But self-care felt vague and out of reach. I didn’t have the time for spa days or weekend getaways. And anytime I did something for myself, it felt like I was taking time away from my kids, my husband, or my patients. I was giving all I had to my family and my patients, but I didn’t have a scrap of energy left for myself.
And while I thought I was doing everyone a favor, I was actually doing them – and myself – a disservice. I was often low-energy, on edge, and unable to be spontaneous or flexible. I couldn’t be a fun mom because I was busy being an effective mom. I realized I would barely laugh anymore!!
When I discovered functional medicine, I was finally introduced to what it actually meant to take care of myself and why it was important. I was able to see that taking care of my mind and body was the single greatest gift to everyone around me. Over time, I had the capacity to listen, laugh, and just be again.
Mother’s Day is coming up, so I’m here to remind mothers that taking care of yourself is the opposite of being selfish! And we’re getting into the ways that you can “self-care” without the guilt or expensive spa trips.
Moms need sleep! I know that depending on the age of our children, this one can be tricky. But I do know that when I was struggling most, I was staying up later than I needed to. Late nights were some of the only moments I had to myself, away from work and the kids. I would push my bedtime so I could just watch one more episode, or simply be by myself. While this felt rewarding at the time, it always made me feel worse the next day. And the cycle of exhaustion would continue! Sleep is the cheapest medicine, so protect and prioritize it like it’s actively healing you (because it is!).
Predictable, nourishing meals. Moms tend to feed the kids, their spouse, the dog, the cat, and anyone else they can find before taking care of themselves. We might be so focused on feeding the kids and packing their lunches that we skip breakfast. Or we’re busy running errands all day, and we have to race home and cook dinner, all while feeling shaky, on edge, and starving! Our bodies crave routines and the calm, steady energy that comes with eating consistent meals and snacks.
When we fuel our body with nutritious meals it provides steady energy, stabilizes blood sugar, and helps prevent those cortisol spikes that send us into survival mode. Building simple, consistent meal routines isn’t just about nutrition – it’s a powerful form of self-care that supports your mood, patience, focus, and resilience throughout the day.
Actual “me” time. As mothers and spouses, we can get so tied up in our roles that we lose sight of what we enjoy or what lights us up. Gifting ourselves even a little time to step outside those identities and just be ourselves is so important.
It reminds us of who we are, what we love to do, and what makes us feel alive. This doesn’t have to be a big event—it can happen in small moments throughout the day. Can you wake up 10 minutes before everyone else to center yourself with meditation? Or take a walk midday to blow off some steam? These small acts ground us, reconnect us with our true selves, and nurture our souls.
Make room for Joy! Doing things that bring us joy is not only important for our own moods, but to make life feel a little bit lighter and less serious. Of course, we have responsibilities, but mixing a little joy into the day can help a lot. I know that if mom is feeling joyful, it usually rubs off on the kids and, especially if they are little, it leads to less melt downs.
A few minutes of listening to a clean comedian, being silly and goofing around with the kids or watching those darling dog videos on social media can lift my mood like no other. And when mom’s in a good mood, generally the whole house benefits!
These are just a few of the lessons I’ve picked up on my journey through motherhood and functional medicine—but they’re only the beginning. The truth is, any step you take to care for yourself benefits everyone around you.
Self-care doesn’t have to be extravagant, expensive, or time-consuming. It simply means tending to your mind, body, and spirit in a way that brings you back to yourself. And that, more than anything, is worth making time for.💞