One thing I have learned over the course of becoming a conscious parenting coach and conscious parent is the importance of a self care routine. As parents, we are pulled in so many directions as we try to manage all the things – our jobs, the household, our relationships, our health and all of those little, but always time consuming, nagging tasks that creep into our day. We feel a constant tug on both our physical and mental space. Our child’s need for our connection can feel like just too much and yet another chore when we have neglected to fill our own cup. We feel stress and overwhelm by our childrens’ chants “mom”, “mom”, “mom” because our personal tanks are running on empty.
When we take care of ourselves, we can more easily attune to our kids and their needs but when we have not taken care of ourselves, the opposite is true. We become short tempered and reactive. We think, “how can they possibly need one more thing from me, I’ve already given so much today.” …And then comes the resentment, reactivity, mom guilt, and days of relationship repair.
Are you thinking, “that’s sounds true but I don’t have time to go to the gym or take an hour or more to go the spa?” “Cripes, I can’t even go the bathroom alone!” While those self care method are nice and often enjoyable, our care for ourselves can truly be simplified into short and simple moments throughout the day.
Can you relate to the notion that you are often too busy to take a breath? Taking a breath, however, is one of the most important things we can do to ground ourselves and give us the strength and elasticity to refocus so that we can meet both the needs of our kids and ourselves. The power of the pause is one of the most magical, simple and quick things we can do to move from lack to flow and ease.
When you are in the thick of it, can you take a moment to pause and breathe feeling the air going in and out of your nose? You may need to ground your feet into the floor. Can you check in with your body? What are you feeling? Where is the feeling in your body? What do you need in this moment? Can you take in your surroundings and observe your space for a just a moment?
This simple practice takes practice but each time you take a moment to tune in, you will want to give to yourself this gift again and again. With each time you do, you are building a foundation for valuable self care, one breath at a time and one moment at a time. It can really be this simple and I encourage you to give it a try.