Taking Care of Yourself

By: Sarah Edwards, Clinical Mental Health Intern

What does it mean when someone asks you, “Are you taking care of yourself”? A lot of society today promotes people to be focused on themselves, resulting in self-absorbed mindsets and forgetting to look at how they can help other people around them. For most moms however, that is not the case. A lot of the moms that I have had conversations with over throughout the years actually struggle with the concept of focusing on themselves, so when asked the question above, it’s hard for them to give a straight answer.

Moms in particular wear a lot of “hats” and have to learn how to switch those hats quickly and sometimes wear multiple hats in one instance. And throwing being a wife into the mix only adds another layer. Keeping up with all of the family members, their schedules, making sure you are available when they emotionally need you, keeping clothes clean and food stocked, sometimes navigating a job outside of the house, etc. can be enough to put any mom over the edge.

Being able to put all of the things to the side for one to two hours a week for yourself can help breathe life back into the areas that were beginning to deflate. If you’re depleted then it is hard for you to give anybody or anything your best effort.

Taking time out to pray, listen to music by yourself, read a book, take a bath, get a pedicure, get a massage, exercise, hang out with some girlfriends, etc. can breathe the necessary life that you need back into the relationships that matter the most to you.

It’s not being selfish. It’s being intentional about giving the best version of yourself to all the things that demand your time and learning not to feel guilty about taking that time. Learn to say no to the things that aren’t life- giving, so you can say yes to the things and people you want to give your best self to.

So, I leave you with this, “Are you taking care of yourself”? If not, then what needs to change so that you can?