Self Care

I often find myself checking myself. Like are you doing/giving enough? I'm a wife, a mother, a student, juggling two businesses, and working with children with disabilities daily - there are more than enough times when I have to step back and make sure that I am evenly distributing myself in every category. My son and I have a symbiotic relationship where I am both the teacher and the student. He is constantly teaching me how to be more selfless, loving, considerate and most importantly, caring for myself in order to better provide him with the parenting he needs. In turn being a win-win for me.

Sometimes I feel like I am an awesome mom & wife but my businesses are next to shit. Sometimes I feel like I'm an awesome business owner but I'm not holding my end of the stick in the household. But truth be told, I'll probably always feel like I'm failing in one way or another simply because I'm not perfect. Sometimes I think we put too much pressure on ourselves, especially as a parent. Parents can sometimes fear that they are not giving enough in one way or another. But if we really assess the situation, we're doing great (as long as you know you are giving it all you have) and that really goes for anyone who is juggling many things at once. You have so much weighing on you and to add the "extraness" life throws at us, it can feel like an overload at times. But despite all that is on your plate, we have to keep our sanity in check and stay on top of self care.

We have to be sure to find time to address our needs as we constantly pour ourselves into so many other things. You can never honestly give yourself to another human or thing if you aren't honestly taking care of yourself. So I'm going to give you 5 ways to help increase your daily self care.

1. Wake up with enough time to start your day with peace.
We all know how hectic mornings can be. Between getting ourselves and for some the babies ready as well, thinking about the traffic we have to endure or thinking about the many things we have to tackle for the day - it can be a lot to take in BUT if you give yourself time to address your personal needs before the day begins, it will make a huge difference. Getting up earlier may be easier said than done but once you get yourself in a new and more healthy routine, your internal clock will eventually get used to it and you'll be thanking yourself. It gives you quiet time to catch up on anything that makes me you feel whole. Whether that be reading, cleaning, blogging, working out etc. You may need a little coffee or green tea later on but I promise it will be worth it and eventually you won't need the caffeine. That early morning peace will be all the rush you need (debatable) lol

2. Be sure to follow people on your social media sites that motivate or inspire you.
We all know how addicting Instagram, Facebook and all of the other social media sites can be. So why not try to take control over what you are feeding yourself with when you are scrolling? I personally love scrolling down my feed because I follow nothing but positive people which in turn motivates me to be better due to my choice of following. If that means you have to unfollow some "friends" or colleagues who drain you, then so be it. If you need help finding the right people to follow, hit the contact link and I'll help you out.

3. Set phone alarms throughout the day with positive affirmations.
Doing this not only can give you the positive tip you need but you can also personalize that positive tip being that you created the alarm. Only you know exactly what you need to work on and move towards. So setting those alarms can be as stern or as calm as you need them to be.

4. *This one is strictly for the parents* Try to keep your kiddos on a schedule where you leave yourself enough time to unwind at night.
Doing this may take some time but you have to start somewhere. Better late than never. Giving yourself that quality time at night allows you to rest peacefully. Maybe have a glass of wine before bed, whatever your thing is, do it.

5. WRITE down goals.
Whether it be short term, like what needs to be done for the day or long term, like what your goals are for the next year - month by month. There's something magical about writing goals down with pen and paper. A lot of us get so accustomed to the convenience of storing thoughts, ideas and goals in our phones but writing it down is so different. The moment I began to write my goals on paper, I saw results! I kid you not. Writing it down almost gives your mind confirmation that what is written is truly something you are trying to attain.

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We too often downplay the significance of taking care of ourselves when there's so many others things that have become priorities in our lives. But honestly, we should be the first priority. So let's act like it.