Welcome back!
Today’s Guest Blogger, Lauren Hale, is joining me on the air on The Mommy-Muse Is In: Empowering Your Journey into Motherhood . Once you’ve listened in and read ”Five Secrets to a Happy Mama,” I know you’ll want to check out her blog, Unexpected Blessing. Enjoy!
“Over the past five years I have been on quite a journey. During this time I have become a new Mom three times, struggled with Postpartum Obsessive Compulsive Disorder twice, survived the NICU once, overcome Ante-partum depression once, and faced one unexpected pregnancy. I now volunteer whatever small amount of free time I have to supporting new moms struggling with Perinatal Mood Disorders. Squeezing it in during the day has been elevated to nothing less than an art form. But I will drop all of it if my mood dictates the need for some personal attention. Nothing matters more than my well-being and those who work with me are made aware of this from the start.
Self-care is the most important care for a Mother. We often forget to Mother ourselves in the midst of our busy days, something we all seem to have a lot of once the asteroid of Motherhood slams into our cosmic midst. If we’re not careful, we’ll end up with a crater so deep we’ll never find our way out.
I’d like to share with you how I manage to keep myself smiling even though life has become increasingly more hectic. Thanks to a friend, I’ve been introduced to what I like to call “Sense Therapy.” Essentially, this means keeping things around my home that please each one of my senses, giving myself permission to indulge and smile whenever possible.
Taste
I love chocolate. Don’t we all? But it’s not always good for us, especially if we eat the mass-marketed Easter kind. The better choice is dark chocolate – it’s got antioxidants to help protect us. I try to keep mini Special-Dark Hershey Bars in the freezer. I would reward myself with two when I was pumping exclusively for our second daughter. My justification for two? One for each hard-working breast! I also love Yoplait! Chocolate Whips. It’s just like eating chocolate mousse without all the guilty calories but you still get the delicious decadence of texture and flavor. Find some of your favorite flavors and give yourself permission to enjoy them from time to time!
Smell
One of my favorite scents is Patchouli. I treated myself to roll-on essential oil based perfume for Labor and Delivery of our third child. Funny thing about that was that I couldn’t stand the scent while I was pregnant and couldn’t handle it right after delivery. Eucalyptus was more my speed then and I certainly didn’t want to walk around smelling like Eucalyptus. So instead I treated myself to a cheap yet amazingly accurate imitation of my favorite perfume from the Dollar Store. I’m also particular about the scent of dish soap I use and will splurge on a favorite scent.
Think about some of your favorite scents, especially ones that conjure up happy memories. For me, it’s coffee and cigars. Both remind me of my grandfathers. There are many affordable ways to keep scents in your home and if you’re up for the challenge, you can even research a bit on Aromatherapy and incorporate this into your Postpartum Care Routine. It’s amazing what a difference smell can make in your daily life.
Sight
This is where things get fun. Sight can be anything from a favorite movie, T.V. Show, photo, picture, color, etc. I have an arsenal of movies I know will make me smile if I am down. My two favorites are Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts and Nothing to Lose with Tim Robbins & Martin Lawrence with The Wedding Crashers in a close third place. I also have some movies guaranteed to get the tears rolling if I need. Those flicks are Radio with Ed Harris & Cuba Gooding Jr and We Are Marshall with (insert drool here) Mathew McConaughey. I’ve also been known to TiVo America’s Funniest Videos. Guaranteed to get you laughing and it’s safe to watch with the older kids!
Touch
One of the bonuses of babies is that their clothes are very very soft. I just loved holding my son and snuggling with him in his fuzzy winter clothes. Baby blankets are also very soft and soothing. But it’s not all about baby. Put a soft robe on your baby shower registry. Or how about some grown up bubble bath? Even the infant lavender bubble bath smells great and as an added bonus, lavender promotes relaxation and sleep! There’s nothing quite like sinking into a tub filled with bubbles at the end of a hard day.
Sounds
Have a favorite band? Are wind chimes your thing? What about soft classical music? Or maybe it’s the sounds of nature or just silence. For me, Latin based music always makes me smile. I keep plenty of Shakira, Selena, and yes, even Ricky Martin around to get the tempo grooving in my day. I’m also a huge U2 fan. I enjoy taking our dogs outside in the morning as well. We live in the middle of the woods across from a farm and I get to hear the bustle of nature as well as a rooster, goats, and donkeys. For me, this is very relaxing and I take the time to breathe deeply and enjoy the sounds of life around me. I’ve even gotten to the point where listening to my kids play is soothing. Sometimes.
The point of all of this is to encourage you to take at least 10-15 minutes every day and spend it with at least one of your favorite things from each of your senses. I would also encourage you to incorporate these things into your everyday life. You’ll find yourself looking forward to your alone time and beginning to enjoy everyday tasks, quickly becoming a happy mama of your own!”
Here are some more ideas for nurturing yourself: The Mother’s Dilemma: Should You Take Time For You? and Moms Need Time-Outs, Too!
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As mothers we spend most of our time putting others needs before our own. It is so important to take at least a few minutes to yourself everyday.