New Year, New Healthy Habits for Moms
By Angela Ilagan | | good habits, habits for moms, moms, new year, new year new habits
New year has different meanings to different people. For some, it signals a fresh start, a new beginning that gives them the spark of motivation to set yearly goals and resolutions. For others, it's a perfect time to develop a good habit and diss off the bad ones.
But whatever New Year means to you, let's not miss the inspiration and the momentum this season brings to make 2022 as one of our healthiest and best years through fostering good habits.
And not just routines but good habits that stick.
Of course, there's no specific time to develop a good habit, the best time is always now — whether you want to restart doing the habit you fail to keep last year or begin developing a new one especially now that your routine has changed.
Here are the good habits every mom and new mom should develop this 2022. You might have heard and known this before but it's good to remind yourself again if you sort of forgot.
1. Practice self-care
Your life probably has totally changed right after you become a mom. Your life sort of takes of the back seat and now you spend less of your time for yourself. That's understandable.
However, not because your life has shifted doesn't mean that you no longer have your needs as a woman. So, if you haven't got the chance to make time for yourself then this is the chance to create self-care once in a while. And don't feel guilty. Self-care isn't selfish.
Just think of self-care as your time to recharge and unwind. It can be in the form of getting a massage, doing a new hobby, going out to drink your favorite coffee, shopping, traveling once in a while, or even just a steamy bath.
Remember that taking care of yourself has a huge impact on your overall health and your little one as well.
2. Positive self-talk
Have you ever become intentional in saying at least one positive word to yourself on a daily basis? If not, get into the habit of positive self-talk.
Motherhood is a tough job. And since it's highly stressful and critical, it's easy to get caught with all negativities and be trapped into comparing yourself with others. You may feel like you're not doing enough, or you probably hate the changes in your body, or you're lacking in so many ways — these negative self-talk can take a heavy toll on your mental health. This is why it's important to positive self-talk is a must. You have to be intentional in saying an affirmation to yourself.
You don't have to wait for other people to complement or encourage you during tough times, sometimes we need to tap our back and utter words of positivity to ourselves.
Make it a habit to say these mantra's daily:
- I am not perfect, it's okay!
- My happiness matters too
- I am important
- I am doing a good job
- I can be better
- I am beautiful
- Things will get better
3. Get enough sleep
It's easier said than done when it comes to sleep. No doubt about it especially if you have a newborn baby. Juggling between daily responsibilities and work can demand so much of your time. This gives you little time to get a good night’s sleep.
But as you may know already, getting a good rest is important for your well-being and overall health. Sound cliché, right? But if we want to function at our best, a good night slumber is necessary.
4. Become more mindful
Practicing mindfulness can pay off big time. It will improve your mental health and overall well-being.
So, this is how you do it: Allot a little time after waking up for a little silence and mindfulness. Take time to be in the present, breath, meditate, or pray, and think positive thoughts. Reconnect with yourself.
It doesn't have to take so much of your time. Five minutes of mindfulness practice can be a good start. And you can also do this when pressure, chaos, anxiety, or panic attack hits you.
5. Avoid eating kids left-overs
Mothers tend to get into the pattern of eating kids’ leftovers. Of course, we don't want food to go to waste. But when you're goal is to shed some pounds this year, then unhealthy and unintentional snacking might ruin your weight loss plan. Just imagine all the calories of all the left-over snacks, right?
So, avoid the first bite. If you can't let the kids empty their plates, just get it out of your sight. If you're tempted again, it's okay. We can do better next time.
6. Reach out for help
When stress and responsibilities are too overwhelming, reaching out to someone you trust and understand your situation can help dial back your stress level.
Besides, there's no harm in talking about your feelings and asking for someone's help. It might be hard at first, but there are also a lot of people wanted to help. We just have to choose the right people we can ask for help.
7. Make mom friends
Studies have shown the positive impact of having friends on our overall health. Friends are our support system indeed. But as we go along different stages of life, we might also have lost touch with some of our old-time friends. And some of your friends perhaps won't understand what's going on in your life right now. This is why it's important to make new positive relationships with other moms.
Having friends who can understand your struggles and challenges as a mom is such a wonderful blessing. Friendships with other moms are important for our sanity.
However, it's obviously not easy to find other moms with who you can get along well at first. It takes time. It's even harder because of the pandemic. On top of that, we're kind of shy to mingle around with other moms. So, if we can't seem to find mom friends over the neighborhood, maybe we can join Mom Facebook groups or get in touch with your old-time friends who are moms also, or if not sign up for online classes.
Love + miracles,