It’s why the old saying: “If you want to get something done, ask a busy mom” is tried and true. It also tends to mean that, in order of priority, moms tend to put themselves last. So while everyone else’s needs are taken care of, day in and day out, theirs tend to fall by the wayside.
However, like the emergency instruction card on any airplane will tell you, it’s vital that you put your oxygen mask on first, before helping others. Put another way: if you don’t take care of yourself and burn out, you can’t possibly take care of everyone else in your life.
Wellness can occur on different levels and depends on your priorities.
How you go about feeling more zen and less ‘chicken running around with its head cut off’ depends largely on what you feel is most important in your life. Is working out a priority for you? Or would you rather go out with your girlfriends more often? Maybe you favor time spent reading in a bubble bath?
Make the decision that wellness is not a dirty word!
Taking time for you is often perceived as selfish, by no one more than yourself. While the people who love you wouldn’t begrudge your indulging in caring for yourself, many women feel guilty about doing just that.
You have to think of your personal wellness as being just as important as that oxygen mask in the airplane. If you can get to that mindset, you will look at your schedule differently, prioritizing your activities and tasks so that there is time for what you enjoy.
The art of saying no
Part of being able to prioritize tasks is learning how to so say no to some. Whether that’s yet another call from the parent council to run an event, or even just getting your family to pitch in more around the house, saying no is cathartic.
Try it: “No, I won’t make your lunch every day! You’re 13 years old and perfectly capable of putting together a sandwich.”
Or how about this one: “No, I’m sorry I can’t run this fundraiser on top of the three others I’ve already undertaken this term. I need to carve out some time in my schedule for some other priorities.”
See? It’s not so hard!
Physical wellbeing starts with what you eat and ends with how much you sleep!
If you don’t feel well physically and emotionally, it’s hard to motivate yourself for even the slightest effort. Your overall well-being depends on what you put into your body and how much rest you get.
Get a check up and see how you’re doing, overall. Many Americans, particularly women, suffer from low iron levels, which can be easily determined through blood work. Having a baseline of where you are at, physically, can help you decide what changes to make a priority for your personal well-being.
Healthy eating to ensure that you have the right balance of nutrients in your body makes all the difference in your energy levels. A good balance of protein, whole grain, fruits and vegetables, while avoiding high fat, sugar and sodium based foods is the ideal.
If you do find you suffer from vitamin or mineral deficiencies, you can easily supplement your eating habits. For example, it’s difficult to get your daily dose of iron from foods, but a stomach friendly supplement would do the trick to keep your iron—and energy—where it should be.
Another major issue for many people is sleep. The average adult should get seven to nine hours sleep, but the reality is that most of you get closer to 6 hours per night. And moms? Sometimes even less! Good sleep is an important priority to make sure that you have successful days.
Take time for you
Circling back to the start of this post, now that you’ve learned to say no and gotten your eating and sleeping habits in check, carve out some time in your schedule for whatever it is that relaxes you and makes you happy.
Yes, it can be tough, but if you view your wellness as being as important as your family’s eating habits or extracurricular activities, you’ll find the time.
could cause harm. A preventable accident can take a split second, but leave a lifetime of regret!
John Gilmer, PhD, is Vice President of Research & Development at Active Iron, the NEW iron supplement that is absorbed into the body at twice the rate of other iron sulfate supplements but is so gentle, it can be taken on an empty stomach. Active Iron features a high potency, non-constipating, sugar-free, and gluten-free protein formula that prevents dietary iron deficiency. It contains no artificial preservatives and is clinically proven to increase iron levels. Available on Amazon.
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