The Importance Of Self-Care

As a stay-at-home Mom and MS Warrior, self-care is seriously important. Probably one of the most important things I do, outside of being a Mom. If I don’t make sure to take care of myself, even in some small way, my mental and physical health suffer greatly.

My self-care starts every morning with a visualization, as I lay in bed cuddling the Wildchild and listening to my husband snore. This could be something as simple as picturing how I want the day to go, or slightly more complicated and doing a grounding meditation. If the Wildchild is still asleep I sneak out of bed for some coffee, and then I sit down at the desk to do my Start Today journal practice. This practice has seriously been life changing for me and firmly believe that everyone should add it to their self-care routine.

One of the most important things I do, every day for my self-care is to workout. Keeping myself physically active is so important to slowing the disease progression of my Multiple Sclerosis that working out is non-negotiable, I *have* to get it done. I am lucky to have access to over 500+ workout programs with my membership to Beachbody On Demand and can choose a different workout each day, if that is what I want to do. It’s so important to me, that I even signed up to be a Coach! Being a coach has an amazing amount of benefits: I can work from pretty much anywhere, I have met an amazing tribe of people, and I get a discount! Seriously, who doesn’t love that.

Another important part of my arsenal in my self-care toolbox is books. Reading has always been an escape for me, and I love to learn new things as well. Here are some of my favorite self-care themed books:

These are just a few of the books that I read over and over again to recenter myself. In regards to Girl, Stop Apologizing, I was lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy. It is not available until March 12th, but it is such a powerful book that I am adding it to my arsenal and plan to buy another copy so that I can highlight my ARC.

Some other things I do for self-care include:

Writing in my journal. Sometimes, you need to a brain dump. This journal is different than my Start Today practice, which resides in my bullet journal.
Crazy dance parties with Wildchild. This started as a way to burn off some of his energy towards the end of the day, but it is so much fun. I challenge you to not smile while dancing with your family to the Trolls soundtrack
Hot Baths. Seriously, take a super hot bath with epsom salt and your favorite essential oils. You’ll be relaxed in no time!
Doing my hair and makeup. I usually pay more attention to this on the days I am feeling less than stellar about my personal appearance. Sometimes, playing with my hair and makeup just boosts my confidence a bit more.
Taking a nap. This is reserved for the weekends when Aaron is home and is very important during times when my fatigue is kicking me down more than usual.

Self-care is going to be different for everybody, and definitely depends on the season of life they are in. When I was newly postpartum, self-care for me was binging my favorite shows on Netflix and the ability to get a shower. Now that Wildchild is nearing five, things have changed. Heck, sometimes self-care is just the ability to pee without him knocking on the door lol.

So, whatever season you are in, remember that self-care is super important to both mental and physical health! Find something that works for you and incorporate it into your routine. Trust me, it will help immensely.

- Barbara

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