F E AT U R E
THE BEST GIFT FOR YOUR FAMILY IS YOUR BEST SELF M AY
2020
Don’t forget the importance of self-care.
12
by Stephanie Pereira
You’ve heard how important self-care is and have probably even reminded yourself or a stressed friend of this necessity at one point or another in your parenting. But what are you supposed to do in unprecedented times?
You are told to practice social distancing, shelter in place, and you feel so uncertain of what the future holds that you may panic and kick into survival mode. How can you embrace the beautiful chaos as a mom during times like this? You deserve to be on your to-do list. Your family is counting on you, and the only way to be your best for them is to take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s OK to take some time from your day and focus on yourself. You will be a better mom for it. You will be a better wife for it. You will be a better person for it. Your job is too important to only do halfway. It’s not enough to be there, merely going through the motions. You need to be there and really embrace yourself and your family in each moment. Commit to yourself a small portion of time each day to take care of your needs. It’s not counterproductive. If you spend an hour each day, that’s less than 5 percent of your day spent doing something for yourself. It can include anything that makes you feel good, from reading, dancing, or painting to pampering yourself — anything that you truly enjoy doing. You will get way more done from a place of feeling good and experiencing well-being than you ever could from having an empty cup.
