Articles in the Self-Care Category
Self-Care »
This is second part of a two-part post by guest blogger Beth Shepard. To read Part 1, go here.
7. Get out with your girlfriends. Regularly- and when you’re ready. When my kids were babies and toddlers, I worked full-time outside of the home, and had a hard time leaving them for any amount of time during my off-time. So, I didn’t. People kept pestering me to get out more, and I got tired of hearing it. As my kids got older, I felt better about leaving them for short periods …
Self-Care »
By Guest Blogger: Beth Shepard, M.S. (Part 1)
Most moms do a pretty remarkable job of cutting corners on self-care to meet the demands of work and family responsibilities. But instead of saving time and energy, neglecting our own needs only magnifies the stress. This holiday season, give yourself the gift of better health by integrating these self-care practices into your lifestyle, one at a time.
1. List your values. What matters most to you? Is it your family? Your health? Work? Faith? Think of your top values as your compass, guiding …
Self-Care »
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or is that just name of a holiday song? No matter what you’re you’re celebrating this month, there’s sure to be a lot going on. Here’s the equation that happens in homes across America: holiday preparations + high expectations + more to do than usual =stress, power struggles, and other “gifts” of the season!
Rather than be all “coachy” about it (in other words, speak in that impersonal voice of a coach), let me just be real and say that if there were ever going to be …
Self-Care »
I’ve been interested in talking about those “pink elephants in the living room” (you know, the stuff that people don’t want to talk about but you KNOW is there) since I was a kid. It’s no surprise then that one of my favorite childhood stories was The Emperor’s New Clothes. It thrilled me when, in that story, one brave little child had the audacity to shout out, “The Emperor is naked!” And the truth is, children are truth-tellers from birth, until it is socialized out of them. When I taught school, …
Self-Care »
Straight off, let me apologize to any mompreneurs out there who are rocket scientists (and you know who you are). I don’t have anything against rockets or scientists. Rather, I just want to say, “Hey, Moms! I know we’re busy, so making ourselves a priority can feel weird. Or just plain guilt-producing. But let’s not make this harder than it has to be, okay?” And for the record, I’m wagging my finger at myself here, too.
Maybe it’s the term “self care.” It sounds kind of clinical and “coach-y.” Like it’s one …
Self-Care »
Taking care of yourself has never really been optional, but that hasn’t stopped many moms from years past from feeling guilty about doing it. There’s a ton of speculation on why this is so, from the media’s portrayal of perfect moms (think “June Cleaver”) as self-less creatures with boundless energy despite no down-time, to the 24/7 nature of motherhood expanding to fill as much time as you let it.
Thankfully, more moms are realizing that self-care is not optional if they want to be effective moms AND actually enjoy their lives. Motherhood …
Self-Care, Uncategorized »
The day started with bang. Or in this case, with a smack. Our dog, Stanley, decided he wanted to eat breakfast. At 4:30 in the morning. So he whacked my face with his paw. Hard. After muttering a few choice words under my breath (and don’t ask why the dog is in the bedroom in the first place!), I pretended to go back to sleep, hoping the obnoxious mutt would catch a clue. This reminded me of how, a few years ago, I would pretend to be asleep so my …
Self-Care, Uncategorized »
One of the moms I’m coaching sent me an article on moms and stress from the site, Modern Mom. Wow. It didn’t beat around the bush or try to sugar-coat the issue. It didn’t say, “There, there. You have so much on your plate. Of COURSE you’re stressed.” It acknowledged the stress and then said, straight up, that many moms are addicted to stress. I believe it.
The article goes on to say that a little stress is good. It can “keep you on your toes” and help you tap into …
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Being a mom and experiencing stress often go together like peanut butter and jelly. But how much stress is too much? When is it time to take note and make a change? The following signs can help you know when to say, “Enough, already!”
Sign #1: You feel frustrated and cranky about the little things: how your spouse’s teeth clink against his cereal spoon, the way your child’s voice sounds when she’s excited and when you want peace and quiet(when you’re under stress, noise and pitch can seem excrutiating to our ears) , when …
Self-Care »
“You’ve GOT to be kidding me!” This was what my client said when I told her she needed to start making herself a priority, or she was going to have a melt-down not unlike her child’s. “But I’m coming to you because my life is crazy. You know how strong-willed children can be, with tantrum after tantrum. There’s no time for me at the end of the day. Self-care. As if.”
Ahhhh. What the heck is “self-care,” anyway? A made-up term by coaches and therapists to guilt people (read …
