I do not know about you, but life is busy. Being a mom, working full-time and part-time, as well as being a human being can take a lot of time out of your day. Some of you are juggling being a wife and various other titles. There is not enough time in the day to get our regular tasks and duties completed so when are we going to practice self-care? For most of us, me included, our self-care gets neglected sometimes. I want you to know, self-care is not self-fish. I tell my clients all the time, if you are not able to take care of yourself; mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually then you are not able to take care of someone else fully. It goes back to that saying, if you are on an airplane that is falling out of the sky, you have to put your face mask on before you are able to help someone else put their mask on. Same concept.
I am going to list some of my favorite self-care practices I enjoy. Prior to being a mom, I used to go the nail salon, monthly massages, etc. I still enjoy these activities, but I have found ways to complete these closer to home, at home, or including my daughter in on the experience.
- Bring the nail salon to your home. If you enjoy doing your nails, then purchase a starter kit and start doing your nails at home. I would have to drive 35 minutes to drop my daughter off, then 25 minutes to get to the nail salon. Then to get everything completed would be another 2 hours. After that, I would have to drive to pick up my daughter, then go home. WOW! Writing this down puts it into perspective. I have created a little spot in my closet that has the basic necessities I need to do nail care, polish, cuticles, gel, acrylic, etc. I am able to get my nails done when my daughter is asleep. When I became a mom, I felt guilty for leaving my daughter to get my nails done. I should not have felt that way, but now I am able to get them done at home with her right there.
- Spa days. I still go get my monthly massages which is total of 1 hour plus including the time it takes for me to drop off my daughter then head to the massage studio. This is 1 hour one way. I am working on scheduling appointments with a local massage studio that is five minutes from the house. While my daughter is already being watched, I am able to go after work to get my massage prior to picking her up. Besides getting massages, I create spa days at home. I have plenty of self-care products from my own collection. However, I love a face mask. I will pick up a face mask from dollar tree, put on some spa music, grab a cup of tea and a mint, lay down and relax. It does not have to be an entire day, maybe 15 minutes of relax time here and there.
- Yoga/meditation. I recently changed the name of my collection to the Aroma collection due to realizing most of my products fall underneath aromatherapy anyway. For example, Relief, Lavender, Sea Salt, Grapefruit, etc. This prompted me to add more aromatherapy scents. One of them being Vinyasa Flow. I felt as though I could not have a product named Vinyasa Flow without doing research into the origin and trying it out. This was the true beginning of me starting yoga and practicing on a daily basis. I have found that working out doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and other faster paced workouts were not helping my mind or body. Since starting yoga, I have found benefits in both of those areas. I do not go to a studio to do yoga. I wait until the little one is asleep, turn on YouTube and use a video to help guide me. I light a candle and let the relaxation start.
- See a therapist. Now, I know this is not for everyone. If this is not for you, please continue to number 5. However, seeing a therapist for me has been helpful. I get asked a lot, how can you be a therapist and you also see a therapist. Great question. Seeing clients on a daily basis and helping them work through their problems can be a lot mentally. I am also a human being who struggle in areas just like everyone else. Even as a therapist, it can be easier for me to notice things in other versus in my life. Having an outsider’s perspective can be helpful. If therapy is not for you, you can also turn to a trusted friend that will listen to your problems, concerns, or fears. Someone that is not going to turn the conversation to what they are going through. Someone who is genuinely going to listen.
- Be outside with nature. This is something you can do by yourself, with your loved ones, or friends. I enjoy going to the lake during the summers and putting my kayak on the water with my daughter. Another times, it is nothing better than going ATV riding in the country with my family. My daughter and I love being outside whether it is hiking or walking on a nature trail. Find what works for you and do it as much as possible.
Thank you for reading. I hope you learned something about yourself and a little more about the owner and creator of All Things Mental Health by Ashley.
Xoxo
Ashley