“You should not have to rip yourself into pieces to keep others whole”.
I read an article recently that said that mums spend an average of 100 hours per week on parenting tasks. When you consider there is only 168 hours in a full week anyway, that equates to just over 14 hours a day and if we have the recommended 8 hours of sleep every night (and we all know that doesn’t happen!), that leaves us with less than 2 hours a day for everything else we need to do, and that’s not even thinking about things we WANT to do!
And then there’s that little thing called ‘self-care’ that we’re supposed to fit in to our life too. What the?! “How am I supposed to do that?!” I hear you ask!
Trust me, I’ve asked that too. In fact, I still do. Every single week. I have to fit it in, because if I don’t, I won’t make it through the week ready to take on the next.
It’s how I hold my strength, and how I’m able to give my best to my family and the other people in my life.
But I’ve noticed that ‘self-care’ has become a little bit of a buzz word in the last few years. One of those trendy things that people do as an optional extra, when time and money allows.
However, the definition of self-care is literally taking action to preserve or improve our health. It’s not an optional extra, it’s vital for our survival.
That morning coffee, or your daily run, or even going to the bathroom on your own, those little routines are your power-grabbers; they’e part of what makes you beautiful.
Let me explain.
Beauty is not just what we see on the outside, and it’s not just the cliche ‘inner beauty qualities’ we hear bandied around either. It comes from our strength.
And I’m not talking physical strength either. Because the reality is, we can have all the physical strength in the world, but if our mind is not strong we can be defeated in an instant.
And that brings us back to self-care.
These days we have so many expectations set upon us and responsibilities to manage. It can be so overwhelming that we (our minds and our bodies) literally shut down.
Self-care is what makes us strong. It makes us feel cool, calm and collected.
It’s not just the beauty salons and nights out with the girls. It’s understanding our brains. It’s nourishing our bodies. It’s putting ourselves first.
It might sound strange, but being beautiful is actually a necessity. You are the most important person to your family, and if you’re not there, they don’t function.
Here are a few ways you can start to add some extra beauty in your life:
Self-care is not an optional extra. It’s vital for our survival. And it’s the one thing that will ensure we can make the world a better place for our kids and future generations.
You hold your happiness in your hands.
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