After Mother’s Day: Time for A New You?

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I hope you were spoiled deliciously on Mother’s Day.  I hope your partner kicked off your day with breakfast in bed and showered you with appreciative hugs. I hope your kids presented you with a hand-picked posy and a great card they drew especially for you. And most of all, I hope you took some time to reflect on your life and plan how to start feeling better than ever before – by taking good care of yourself.

It’s all too easy for busy moms to get lost in a hectic schedule of school runs, work deadlines and household management.

So in the spirit of Mother’s Day, set some personal goals, not just for today or this week, but for the months to follow:

Nishta 3Exercise: The benefits of regular exercise go far beyond being able to slip into the slinky dress you have your eye on in the local boutique. It makes you feel wonderful, is good for your health and helps banish stress. Sign up for an activity or fitness class that fits in with your schedule and offers some level of personalized training. Whatever your preferred sport, make exercise one of the top priorities in your life.  A fit, happy and unstressed mom is the very best kind there is.

Grooming: It’s a fact of life that women will always feel their best when they look their best. Schedule regular appointments for a haircut, manicure and pedicure – and keep them. There’s nothing more likely to depress you than an overgrown mop of hair, tatty finger nails, and toes which don’t deserve to be seen outside in sandals.

Date nights: Arrange a babysitter at least once a fortnight so you can go out alone with your loved one. Enjoy a romantic meal where you don’t have to cut up food into small pieces or apologize to the waitress about spills, breakages and bad behavior – assuming your beau doesn’t overdo the wine of course. Or get a culture fix at the theatre, see a movie or go for a moonlit walk. Rekindle your romance with quality time together, and –  who knows, it may progress to an ooh-la-la night!

Family fun: Kids want to have fun with their mom. They don’t care (in fact don’t notice) if the carpet needs vacuuming or the bathroom is grubby round the edges. Every weekend make time for family fun. Go feed the ducks at the local park, visit the zoo, play a little soccer, see who can run the fastest – in fact do anything that gets you out of the house and allows you to revert to some wonderfully childish behavior. The kids will love you even more for it and you’ll feel refreshed and revitalised.

Monthly lunch:  Arrange to meet old friends once a month for lunch – children not allowed. Oh, it may sound harsh, but you’ll all have a far more relaxing time together if you don’t have to stay on red alert to intercept little Johnnie /Georgie /Emily /Sophie if he or she irritates other diners with over-excited screams, embarks on a dangerous climbing stint on a rickety chair, or makes a bid for freedom when you’re looking the other way.

Simple relaxation: Make sure you have some relaxation time every day. Ask your partner to clear up after dinner regularly, so you can curl up and read a good book. Get up 15 minutes earlier than everyone else in the morning so you can enjoy your coffee and catch up with the morning news uninterrupted. It may be simple, but even a short stint of relaxing me-time can do wonders.

You are a mother every day of the year – not just on Mother’s Day. So remember that to feel good about yourself, your life and your family, you need to take good care of yourself.  It’s time for a new you!

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Nishta Giallorenzo is Founder and CEO of BoSoul.com, a platform that helps New Yorkers organize their own fun private exercise and fitness groups in their neighbourhoods and share the cost of top, vetted instructors. Nishta grew up in Mauritius, before moving to London to attend college. She also received an MBA from INSEAD France. Over the past 10 years, she has held several positions in technical, marketing and general management roles before founding BoSoul in NYC. Mother of two little girls, Nishta loves the beach, yoga, travelling, watching drama and spending time with her family.

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