Last year, after a frazzled start to fall, I posted the following on Twitter: “I’m declaring November ‘Take Care of Me’ month so I don’t go into December totally depleted. Who’s with me?” I got reply after reply. I was amazed. I tried again later…and again, moms were retweeting it with an “I’m in!” and “ME!”
I realized that we were all doing it. Every time a child’s needs change, or something new needs doing for someone else, we make it happen. We make time. We stay up late, we sacrifice sleep or leisure time and get it done. Yet we endlessly cut corners on the things we do to stay healthy and happy.
I’m a mom of two, and they keep me hopping. We just moved, we own our own business and I just started a new job; I need multiple to-do lists to get it all done in our busy household. Lack of sleep, busy days, jam-packed schedules: all of these things add up to a frazzled mummy who isn’t giving or getting her best.
So here’s what I decided to do. I hate the feeling of deprivation that comes with immediately stopping all indulgences. I always found it hard to stay positive. This time I’m going at it from a different angle. I am adding in good habits, and as I go along, they will crowd out the bad ones. That way, my focus is on what I am adding, rather than what I am taking away.
My goal is to add each good habit one at a time. At first it will be things that don’t hurt. Taking vitamins. Tea or water mixed with juice in the afternoons instead of more coffee with cream, sugar and usually chocolate. Club soda and reduced calorie juice instead of pop. Increasing the vegetables in my lunch, and remembering how I used to love fruit. Nibble chocolate chips instead of eating whole chocolate bars.
As my energy returns and these become second nature, I will be more prepared for the challenges ahead: getting more sleep, getting friendly with my elliptical trainer again and cutting back on my sweets.
In short, I decided that declaring a “Take Care of Me” month was just another symptom of the care I wasn’t willing to give myself. I’ve decided to aim higher. I’m declaring this my “Take Care of Me” life.
Who’s with me?
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