Enjoy The Little Things

Self-care is always a topic in our rare mothers community. But there’s a lot of different types of self-care. One important question is, “what is the difference between the self-care you are forced to give yourself when your body is down, requiring rest and recuperation, from the self-care you choose to give yourself to maintain your needs, even though you might feel fine?”

Are you able to give equal value to each kind?

Self-care is a logical response to reduce stress. Yet with so much to do and finishing everything that needs doing, relishing time for ourselves is likely at the bottom of the “to do” list.

It requires a few steps…

Recognizing that it is needed.

Connecting and being aware of what fills you.

Planning self-care into your schedule. (which sounds easier said than done)

A misnomer that often occurs when we ask about things being equal, is that we expect to give the same time to it, as we do energy. But if we’re sick for five days, and we’re forced to rest, expecting to give ourselves five days of maintenance self-care just to be “equal” is quite a reach. So, it brings us to defining value. How do we prioritize the things we value? Do we value self-care? Little bits of self-care can add up, allowing you to feel less frazzled.

You may be thinking, “Who has time or money for self-care now?” It’s possible that you do! Self-care doesn’t have to be a weekend ski trip to Brianhead, a mani/pedi or even an hour in a bubble bath. Have you considered creating micro-moments of self-care?

Here is a list you can do in a matter of minutes, no matter where you might be.

Even doing just one or two of these can have a huge benefit for self-care when you make it part of your day and bring your nervous system back to calm.

Apply light pressure and massage your temples. 

Breath ten times like you’re trying to fill a balloon behind your belly button. 

Take a 30 second dance break. 

Gargle (it will tickle your Vagus nerve.) 

Hold an object that is special to you. 

Jump up and down 20 times. 

Laugh out loud. 

Meditate on positive words. 

Pop bubble wrap. 

Quench your thirst by drinking two glasses of water. 

Soak your feet in hot water for 5 minutes. 

Take a walk around the block. 

Moisturize your face to liven up your skin. 

Write in a gratitude journal. 

Enjoy a cup of tea and acknowledge each sip . 

There are so many others! I would love to create an even greater list for all our Mamas to reference and use. Please add your own ideas and favorites!