When I gave birth to my daughter three years ago, I was enthralled. From the very moment I became a mother, I was beaming with anticipation about how fulfilled my life would be now that I finally had a child of my own. Indeed, my motherhood journey has been wonderful, but it certainly hasn't been easy by any means. I've had to clean up my fair share of chaotic messes, rectify a number of dramatic temper tantrums, and constantly try to maintain my dwindling sanity.
Truth be told, one of the main difficulties of being a mother is not having time to truly take care of myself. With having to get up early, prepare my daughter's food, clean the house, run errands, pick up my daughter, and make dinner for me, my husband, and my daughter, I hardly ever time to get in my much-needed daily exercise. More recently, however, I've made a valiant effort to make my health a priority. If you're a mother who is also juggling a hectic schedule and wants to incorporate more emphasis on health and wellness into your life, try utilizing these three helpful tips.
Wake up an hour earlier
I know what you're thinking: 'I already get up early enough!' Believe me, when I first started getting up an hour earlier to make healthy meals and walk around the neighborhood for a bit, it was pure torture. I couldn't fathom how I'd be able to maintain getting up at 5 a.m. every morning. Over time, however, I was able to adjust to the new schedule and master a much healthier morning routine. I'd use that extra time to reflect on my meals for the day and get in a light round of exercise. By taking time to focus on my health first thing in the morning, I didn't stress as much about it throughout the day.
Schedule a window of time for yourself
As mothers, we do everything we can to take care of our loving families. Who could blame us? As the matriarch of our households, it's our duty to make sure that our families are well taken care of. What about us though? Where do we fit in in all of this? Remember, even though it is important for us to take care of our loved ones, it's also important for us to take care of ourselves. If you want to help your children become healthy adults, it's of dire importance that you lead by example and make your own health a priority. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to pencil in time for yourself on your personal calendar. Let's say you'd like to attend an exercise class at the gym on Saturday or a take a healthy cooking class at a culinary school. Well, plan ahead! Schedule someone to watch your kids and take some time to take care of yourself.
Make your meals ahead of time
After I gave birth to my daughter, I unexpectedly gained twenty pounds. Even though I was incorporating light exercise, I was still packing on the pounds. Needless to say, I was extremely dismayed and frustrated after I hopped on the scale. When I started to study my eating habits, however, I realized I wasn't eating the healthiest of meals. I habitually skipped breakfast, constantly ate my daughter's snacks, and was always stress eating. I wasn't making enough time to just sit down and have a healthy meal, and I was paying the price for that malady. A great way to prevent yourself from eating unhealthy all the time is to prepare your meals in advance. In doing this, you'll prevent yourself from making spur-of-the-moment, unhealthy meal decisions.
It's not always easy to make healthy decisions when you're juggling the chaos of motherhood and everyday life. If you want to be the best mother you can be, however, it's crucial that you take some time to focus on your health and wellness. See if these three tips can help you in your endeavors.
Leslie Johnson is an avid health and nutrition blogger or HYPERLINK mastersinhealthcare.com. As a mother, she is particularly passionate about teaching children about nutrition, health, body image, and exercise. If you have any questions for Leslie, feel free to leave them here.
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