Simple Ways To Stay Healthy and Strong as a Busy Mom

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom or a mom who works both inside and outside the home, you are no doubt busy for about 18 hours of the day (if not longer). It is no surprise that you are exhausted at the end of the day, but what can you do about it? Well, short of hiring a nanny (a luxury most of us can’t afford), the next best thing you can do is to make sure that you take care of yourself.

Eat Healthy

Everyone, from your doctor to your mother, will give you this bit of advice, but there’s a good reason for that – it’s extremely important! Eating right gives you the energy you need to take care of yourself and your family, besides helping to ensure that you'll stay healthy. But it doesn’t have to be difficult. Find healthy foods and recipes you like, and make it even easier by using superfood powder for an added boost. You can even get the kids involved in making some healthy snacks and dinners (with the added benefit that teaching them how to cook will come in quite handy when they are older).

Allow Yourself Some “Me Time"

It may seem like you just don’t have the time to do anything for yourself. But in the end, both you and your family will be better off if you take the time to do something just for you. Perhaps it seems counterintuitive – shouldn’t you be spending that hour doing some laundry or something? Wouldn’t that be better for everyone than you getting out of the house by yourself?

No, actually, it won’t!

When you are frayed and worn out, you can end up feeling tired and frustrated all the time. This makes it hard to really get things done and hard to really be there when your family needs you. Taking some time for yourself will make you feel refreshed, both physically and psychologically. It will give you the energy you need to deal with the big things and the little things (and the annoying things!). There is no shame in hiring a babysitter (or getting grandma to watch the kids) just so you can get out of the house and away from it all for a while. And “me” time doesn’t have to be a big deal – it can be as easy as taking a walk, visiting the mall for some window shopping, having lunch with a friend, or finding a great little café to relax in and finally finish that book you started 4 years ago.

Make sure you schedule some “me time” at least once a week, and stick to it! Don’t let yourself skip it, no matter what chores await you at home.

Enjoy Your Kids

Another good reason to take some time to recharge yourself is that it puts you in the right mood to enjoy your kids. And this, in turn, makes for a happier family and a happier, healthier you. Try a new game or find some other new ways to have fun. Your kids are only young once, and you only have a limited amount of time with them. Taking the time to have some fun and find the kid in you once again has so many benefits: your kids know you care, you get to bond with them, and it is a great way to relieve stress! You’ll also be making some incredible memories for them to look back on (“Mom, remember the time you….”)

Taking care of yourself is incredibly important, and yet somehow it often and too easily gets forgotten in the day-to-day craziness. Doing something for your health and happiness may be the last thing on your list (if it even makes it onto the list at all!), but you need to make sure you take care of yourself, not just for you, but for your family! In the end it will be a move you won’t regret.