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Mom Squad! This week's episode is for you! We have Chanelle Neilson, from the Moms Who Know podcast, talking with us about why moms need to take care of themselves, why moms don't, and why it is SUCH a big mistake!
Listen in to hear a great story about how Chanelle found out she was pregnant with her fifth child (a major surprise), at age 38, and how Chanelle began her writing and podcasting career in China....whaaaat?!? Plus find out Andrea's best tip for breastfeeding moms.
Chanelle Neilson is the host and creator of the Moms Who Know Podcast. She is the author of Parenting with Purpose, which has been translated into Chinese. She has worked in the fitness industry for 20 years and is a certified yoga instructor. She loves sunshine, healthy living, and dark chocolate. Chanelle is the mother of 5 kids and is married to her best friend.
"When we take care of ourselves we can take BETTER care of everyone else." - Chanelle Neilson
A major part of being able to care for ourselves is connected to our ability to let go of our responsibilities ... at least temporarily. This is nearly impossible for some moms! Why?
- Part of this is caused by mom guilt...an affliction known to many.
- Part is a control issue. We, as moms, want things to go a certain way. If we're not there, doing things our way (the right way), we worry about it getting done wrong...if at all. We have to be willing to let go of the control over those things to properly take care of ourselves.
5 Areas of Self-Care
- Physical
- Mental
- Nourishing your body
- Relaxation
- Social
Chanelle explored each of these areas, why they are so important, and how moms can easily implement them.
- PHYSICAL:
- Exercise is definitely one aspect of physical self care that is important.
- We should listen to our bodies. The needs of our body change from day to day, but those needs MUST be met. Perhaps one day you need a good, hard run, but on another your body may need rest, or a really good yoga stretch.
- Sometimes a physical need may not have to do with our bodies at all. Perhaps we desperately need order and loveliness in our home or garden. It could be the need to help our house or garden look better.
- How can we be aware of our physical needs?
- It takes time to learn to slow down and listen to what our body is saying about its needs. It becomes easier with practice.
- In the chaos that is motherhood, we need to be able to FEEL and THINK.
- MENTAL
- A huge part of mental self care has to do with incorporating things into our life that stimulate us, such as podcasts (shameless plug!), books, puzzles, etc.
- Sometimes mental self care can mean taking a mental break. We live in a world where we are constantly needing to process information. Sometimes the goal needs to be finding peace.
- We may need to turn off the TV or music in the background in order to create and hear the peace.
- "Turn it all off once in a while and have silence and see what comes up in your mind. Mental self care might mean putting more in and it might mean letting more out and giving yourself space."
- NOURISHING YOUR BODY
- Feeding our bodies needs to be done with care and consideration.
- Chanelle talks about the benefits of an 80%/20% rule when it comes to food and indulgence. Essentially that means that 80% of the time we should choose healthy choices. That gives us the freedom to indulge 20% of the time without guilt. This rule lends itself to a huge mental shift where food is concerned so that we can nourish our body AND our souls.
- RELAX
- This area is more commonly thought of as PAMPERING.
- If moms have the time and money to have manicures, pedicures, and massages, then that certainly is one way to pamper ourselves. If not, here are some ideas on how moms can pamper for little or no money:
- Hot bath with epsom salts or essential oils.
- Foot bath with marbles at the bottom so you can move your feet around on them and accomplish a foot bath along with a massage.
- Ask friends over for a night of pampering and do any above along with facial masks, eye cucumber treatments, soothing music, etc.
- SOCIAL
- The most important part of social self care is to be with people that FILL you! Notice how your friends make you feel. If you feel worse about YOU after being with them, that's a good indication that being with them is not good social self care.
- Stay at home moms can be very lonely which strains not only themselves, but their relationships with their children and their husbands.
- Here are some ideas for social self care:
- Call friends---old and new---and connect.
- Make play dates for your kids and spend the time connecting with their moms.
How can busy moms fit self care into their lives?
- It's all about making tasks a habit!
- Morning routines
- Night routines
- Daily effort works better than weekly to truly nourish moms and make them better able to nourish others.
MOM SQUAD CHALLENGE:
Chanelle is issuing a challenge to all of her podcast listeners and would like to include our listeners in it!
The Fill Your Own Cup Self Care Challenge! August 20-25. Spend 5 days focusing on a different aspect of self care for you!
To participate go to www.momswhoknowpodcast.com/selfcare
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHANELLE:
www.momswhoknowpodcast.com
Apple Podcast: Moms Who Know
facebook.com/momswhoknowpodcast
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