The essential self-care guide for mothers

“Self-care during pregnancy is the first gift that the mother can give to her child.” —Mary Thompson, “An Ayurvedic Approach to Prenatal Care”

Self-care means different things to different mamas. It can be 5 minutes out of your day or a weekend away. Having a daily or weekly self-care practice will help you maintain a state of ease. You will more quickly and easily let go of tension and constriction in your body, and deal with the stressful moments in life with more grace and ease. Knowing that life is an ever-changing plain (especially when you become a parent), having a cache of self-care habits will help you ride the waves of life more confidently, allowing you to quickly find a state of balance when the ups and downs occur.

Self-care is baby-care. Taking care of yourself will benefit both you and your baby/children. Now let’s talk about how to do it!

The self-care basics include NOURISHMENT, REST, MOVEMENT, TIMEOUT, and NURTURING. Here are the TOP 5 Self-Care Habits for Mamas to help you determine what self-care looks like for you and most importantly, adding more self-care to your day. Let’s get started!

1. NOURISH- The top 3 foods that make me feel my best: _____________, _____________, and ________________.
2. REST- The amount of sleep I need that leaves me feeling rested: _____________ hours.
3. MOVE- The type of movement, class, activity, or exercise that leaves me feeling better: _____________, ______________, and/or _____________.
4. TIMEOUT- When I need a quick break and need to get away for some alone time, I need _____________ minutes to be by myself.
5. NURTURE- Nurture yourself. If I could add this once or twice a month, I would feel so much better: (Ideas: massage, manicure, pedicure, a class, something creative, night out with a friend, etc.) __________________, _________________, or __________________.

Take some time to nurture and nourish yourself, mama. You deserve it. Self-care is an essential part of motherhood. Now, go schedule some self-care time into your calendar using one or more of the ideas from this list.