Taking Care Of Yourself IS Selfish

I’ve personally been guilty of saying things like “taking care of yourself isn’t selfish” in the past. But I’ve come to realize something … Moms need to be a little selfish sometimes. Not in the “I only care about myself” kind of way, but in the “I have to care about myself” kind of way.

As moms, we spend the majority of our day thinking about everyone- and everything- else. We leave very little room to think about ourselves. And here’s what that teaches our children:

1. That everyone else’s needs come before ours

2. That we don’t value our own time

3. That we don’t need time to ourselves

These 3 things are incredibly important for our kids. How will they learn how to ask for what they need as adults if we don’t model it now?

This is just as much a reminder for myself. And truthfully, it’s the biggest point of contention between my husband and I. I will press on, burying my own need to change something to prioritize myself until I end up snapping. It’s not cute. And it’s definitely not good for our family.

Fitness is one of the top ways we show our kids how to take care of themselves. But so is putting an effort into your appearance. I’m not saying go full makeup, or even adopt a 5-step skincare or haircare routine (that’s 3 steps too many for me).

Find something- anything- that allows you to prioritize yourself. Maybe it’s consistently taking your supplements, or getting dressed for the day, even if you’re going to spend it at home, or maybe it’s washing your hair.

Whatever it is, do it for you.

Xo,

Arielle