Photo by Michael Jung – Fotolia
We may associate Mother’s Day with brunches and indulgent spa days, but today’s mothers have busy schedules and multiple demands that make it difficult to prioritize their well-being the rest of the year. Full-time mom Julie Burton, the author of The Self-Care Solution: A Modern Mother’s Essential Guide to Health and Well-Being, shares five ideas for kick-starting a self-care journey.
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Start from the Inside Out. Taking care of ourselves begins with believing we’re worth it, Burton says. “Self-care has to start from a place of self-worthiness, love, and compassion.”
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Restructure and Reframe. “I think we as mothers have to reframe how we think about our roles,” says Burton. Mothers can’t take on all the responsibility for their families all the time—there are times when they need to be able to ask for support from their partner, friends, and even their children.
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Be OK With Just Enough. “Most women feel like they’re falling short,” says Burton. “We expect too much from ourselves. I don’t know if women can have it all, but I think we can have enough—if we allow ourselves to be OK with just enough.”
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Do Something That Makes You Happy. Burton says that moms need to recognize that doing things just for themselves isn’t necessarily selfish—instead, it provides an example of a strong, healthy, and grounded person. “Our kids need us to do that so they learn to do that for themselves,” she says.
- Taking Care of Yourself is Taking Care of Them. Striving for balance and carving out self-care space replenishes strength and energy for helping others. “It’s important to think about self-care as a way to nurture yourself, so that you’re better able to nurture your family.”
Online extra: Q&A with author Julie Burton, plus more self-care tips.
