Are you a mom that says “I don’t have time for myself, my kids and family are my priority” or ”I need to keep full steam ahead with work to help cover our family costs”? If you are, you are not alone! Many moms tend to put themselves on the back burner so they can maintain their work life, help with financial situations, while remaining attentive and staying present in their family’s life. Even though life can get busy with cooking (not in my case because I suck at cooking), working, managing schedules, and relationships, we still need to make time for ourselves so we can maintain our identity and self-esteem. It is so easy to get caught up in everything else going on in life, therefore it should be a priority to put yourself first, even if it may feel selfish. In this post, I am sharing 3 tips on increasing self esteem as a mom!
Mom life will always be busy, no matter how old your kids are. Don’t wait for when your kids are older to start taking care of yourself. To keep being a great mom for your kids, you must give yourself the same attention and care! Take the time to focus on your well-being and balance mom life and family life!
Tip 1: Focus on Balancing Mom Life and Family Life
When planning out your daily or weekly schedules for your family, make sure to plan out time for yourself. Using a physical calendar that you can hang on your fridge for everyone to see can be extremely beneficial to not only you but to your whole family. To keep the calendar organized, assign each person a different color so when you look at it, you will know what each activity is and who it is for. Before you schedule your time, make sure you are able to accommodate your kids schedules and if you find that there is overlap, ask for help. You don’t want to overdo it and cause yourself more stress.
After you get your kid’s schedules figured out, pencil in time for yourself! When you write down that time, you will feel obligated to take advantage of it and not miss it. If you find that your kids will be at a social event or participating in sports, take advantage of that time and go do something for yourself! It may be sitting at a park with a good book, running to a local coffee shop to grab a fresh drink, or even going back home and focusing on self-care. Gaining time in your day to go do something for yourself will bring you peace as well as help you ease any daily anxiety. Carving out time to focus on yourself will help you increase your self-esteem and build a stronger self-relationship.
Tip 2: Schedule Monthly Appointments
When making time for yourself on the calendar, make sure that you are scheduling appointments for yourself that can boost your self-esteem! The appointments may consist of getting your nails done, going to the hair salon, or pampering yourself with a facial or massage. If you have the appointments booked in advance, it will give you something to look forward to. Taking that time to focus on your appearance is a great way to feel good both inside and out.
Let me take a moment to clarify. I am not saying that you need to look good for everyone else. In my own personal experience, when I take a little extra time to be pampered, not only do I get that time to relax while others ”pet” me, I come out feeling refreshed and more beautiful. Feeling beautiful for me does wonders for my confidence. Whenever you find that you are in a rut, spoiling yourself with a day out can bring you back to where you want and need to be, both mentally and physically!
You can also schedule “mom” time on days you have doctor’s appointments. Like many, you may dread going to the doctor, but if you reward yourself with something fun afterward, you can end up looking forward to going to the appointment! Tying self-care into a not-so-fun situation can give you a boost of self-confidence. Recently, I had to go for a CT scan. I ended up crying and coming so very close to passing out. It was a terrible experience. Afterwards, I treated myself to ice cream, absent children and husband. That moment sitting alone in my thoughts on a warm sunny day was just what I needed to pick back up and get to ”momming” again in the afternoon. If you have an appointment in the afternoon, try grabbing ice cream or going out to lunch by yourself. This gives you the time to not only enjoy a great meal but reflect on what your appointment was about and if there is anything that you need to improve on.
Tip 3: Make Time to Move Your Body
Along with making time to get your hair or nails done to boost your self-esteem, adding exercise into your weekly routine can have a positive impact on your body. There are many ways to incorporate exercise into your day-to-day life: going to the gym, participating in classes, or working out at home. If you can find time on that busy calendar, it can be worth going to a class, like cycling or pilates, to get your body moving and to also socialize with people outside of your norm. If you are not able to go to a class and you are struggling to find time to work out at home, setting your alarm for 15 minutes earlier than normal can give you time to fit a quick workout or stretch in!
Finding time to exercise not only boosts your confidence and can help you to burn calories, but it can affect your overall health. Dealing with mom stress and anxiety can take a toll on your body. You may notice that you are tired more often, experiencing breakouts or hair loss, and have a lack of energy. If you find that you are experiencing any of those symptoms, it is time to take charge and figure out what you can do to improve the symptoms. Adjusting your sleep schedule, focusing on a skincare routine, taking a hair loss pill for women, and working out, can help to rid your body of those symptoms.
Boosting Self-Esteem is Important for All Moms!
The important thing for all moms to remember is they do not need permission to take care of themselves, nor do they need to feel guilty about it! To avoid burnout or becoming extremely overwhelmed, the best thing to do is take that time and focus on yourself. The more time that you can carve out to focus on your self-esteem and self-confidence, the more attentive you will be to your family’s lives! You don’t want to miss out on your kid’s lives if you become stressed or anxious, so taking “mom” time will positively impact you.
