Why Self Care Isn’t Selfish (especially as a mom)
**I want to emphasize that this applies to absolutely everyone: mom, dad, parental figure, single human regardless of gender identity, dog parent, cat parent, plant parent. Self care is not selfish.
We give so much of ourselves to everyone around us. Our days are spent at work, completing tasks, keeping businesses running, making sure everything flows smoothly throughout the day.
We go home to cook dinner for ourselves, our partners, our children, to keep everyone healthy and alive. Then there are dishes to clean. There is laundry to do. We have pets to walk and entertain. We have floors to sweep. We have toilets to clean. We have a whole household to keep functioning.
Where does that leave us? We have only so much energy within ourselves and yet we give it out to others all day, every day. Have you ever heard the saying: “you can’t pour from an empty cup”? Yet here we are, emptying ourselves, pouring into others endlessly. What happens when we run out? We get burnt out. The things that brought us joy previously now get no reaction. We get shorter with those we love. Our kids, partners, friends, and family get a version of us they don’t deserve. We have no energy left and are just existing in the world.
I need you to pour into yourself. This is NOT selfish. You can only do good in the world and to others if you first feel good within you. So what does that look like? There is no one right answer. It will be different for everyone. For me, that means exercising daily, getting my botox done every 3 months on the dot, getting filler that helps me feel like myself again, and the occasional laser treatment or microneedling for those anti-aging, collagen boosting benefits. Feeling good about myself helps my light shine a little brighter. I can laugh with my kids without worrying that I am going to wrinkle. I can take pictures with my friends genuinely smiling because I am enjoying the moment instead of being self-conscious about what that picture looks like. I can enjoy the little moments and feel good in my skin.
Schedule that Hydrafacial. Enjoy that hour of laying down, with nothing to worry about, everything else in the world on pause, while getting your skin pampered. Leave cleansed, exfoliated, hydrated, and extra relaxed.
Add the lymphatic drainage massage to the hydrafacial while you are at it. Get that fluid moving out, look snatched, and have that extra few minutes of being pampered on that heated table.
If you have an area of your body that is stubborn no matter how much you workout and how many different diets you’ve tried, get the coolsculpting treatment. Don’t let that area hold you back from being comfortable in your own body.
Schedule the botox. When it kicks in two weeks later, that smooth skin, that glow, has you walking with your head held high. Smile without crows' feet making you think twice. And bonus-no one can tell when you’re angry. That scowl is gone!
Get the lip filler. Get the cheeks filler. Life is short. We deserve to live it feeling like our best selves. When we feel good, we can then do good in the world.
It doesn’t matter if you take care of just yourself or if you take care of a basketball team of children. You matter. You are a value and a light in this world. Do what makes you shine brighter. Pour into yourself. Self care isn’t selfish.
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