Motherhood is a remarkable journey painted with love, happiness, and beautiful moments. But let’s be honest; it can also be overwhelming, exhausting, and all-consuming. Most of the time we reserve most of our time and energy to take care of the children’s needs, leaving little to none for ourselves. The truth is that a well-cared-for mother makes a better mother in return. Striking that balance between self-care and motherhood is not self-centeredness, it is power!

Grasping Self-Care: Personal care means much more than the occasional spa visit or vacation. It focuses on the need to take care of one’s body, mind, and emotions daily. It means allowing one’s self to take a break, feed their body, and participate in things that make one happy. Mothers, more often than not, are made to believe that setting aside some time to care for themselves is a luxury. On the contrary, self-care is not optional, it is necessary. Once you start taking care of yourself, you become happier, more patient, and better able to embrace your child.

Challenges of Mothers in Managing Their Self-Care Routine
It is evident that mothers have trouble finding time for self-care. The possible reasons include:

• Remorse: A mother feels guilty when she steps away from her children.
  Scarcity of time: An endless list of responsibilities does not allow for properly executing self-care.
• Social Expectations: Society has a tendency to glamourize the “perfect mom” who is always put together and functioning.
• Insufficient support: Not every mother has the luxury of a family or community to fall back on.

While these challenges may appear to be real, mothers can take simple steps towards achieving success.

Strategies That Combine Self-Care with Motherhood Responsibilities

Reframe Your Mindset
Keep in mind that the hardest part of self-care is actually starting. Once you carve out your time, you send your child the message to value self-love and balance.

Prioritize Little Intervals of Self-Care
Self-care does not have to take hours to be effective; short intervals can also go a long way in making you feel better. Some great examples are:

• Enjoy a cup of tea while your kid takes his/her afternoon nap.
• Take a few minutes of deep breaths when feeling tensed.
• While cooking, listen to soothing music.
• Right before dozing off, pick up a book, and read a couple of pages.
• Make sure to set aside no less than 30 minutes for yourself first thing in the day.

Let Your Child Participate in Your Self-Care Activities
If you have trouble finding personal time, you can include your child in activities that can benefit you both:

• You can go for a stroll in the park.
• Practice yoga with them.
• Have a “get active” dance party.
• Engage in arts and crafts such as painting and drawing together.

Have a Talk with Someone
Remember, you don’t have to do everything yourself. Talk to your partner, other family members, and friends for help. If you need to, invite some assistance with house chores. There is nothing wrong with asking for assistance—it is a method of achieving balance.

Only Take-on What You Can Manage
Do not take on obligations that will leave you feeling depleted. You silence yourself, analyze what you truly need to give energy to, and everything else you can let go of. Time and energy, like most things in life, have value, and that value can become wasted if you do not use them wisely.

Create a Personalized Self Care Plan
Implementing and maintaining an easy self-care plan daily can be life-changing. It does not need to be complicated. Spending 10-15 minutes on yourself breaks daily, can be helpful.

Easy Self Care Ideas include:

• Meditation and journaling first thing in the morning.
• Walk outside to get some sun
• Watching a show of your choice after putting the little one to bed.
• A relaxing bath or skincare routine at night

Embrace your Idea of Perfection
Let’s face it, no mother is perfect, and that’s alright. Do not worry if the house is not as clean as you would like it or if laundry is choking you. Your self-compassion is your friend. More valuable than anything is how you feel, not everything being perfect.

A Balanced Mother's Empowering Power
A mother who puts self-care first is more empathetic, affectionate, and involved. Being a mother is enhanced by taking care of oneself, not diminished. You deserve to feel well, and your child deserves a happy, healthy mother.
As we grew up, we observed our mothers and grandmothers, which influenced our conditioning and views. However, the difficulties facing our age are different. The moment has come to interrupt the cycle, unlearn old habits, and teach our kids the importance of self-care and how it affects life.

So, mom, inhale deeply. Put yourself first without feeling guilty. It's difficult to strike a balance between parenting and self-care, but it is doable with little measures. And your real superpower is that!

Contributed By - Smriti Parasar, Parent Coach & Content Creator Empowering Parents