Dear Friends,

How are you doing with your self-care? Busy moms tend to put off self-care. They take care of everyone else. They burn the candle at both ends. They get tired and burned out. They skip taking care of themselves.

When you think about self-care, you don’t really know where to start. You feel guilty for thinking about taking care of your needs.

A wise woman said something to me this week, and it stuck with me.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Taking care of yourself is an important job. Your health depends on you taking care of yourself. When you take care of yourself, you are taking care of your family’s caregiver.

This same wise woman told me that she had an important job. It was to take care of herself, so she could take care of her family.

She has learned well from what The FlyLady has been telling us for years.

1)     Get enough rest

How many of you stay up late at night?

When you stay up late at night, it makes it hard to get up the next morning. Often, even when you get up, you are still tired. Working on your Before Bed Routine, and pay careful attention to the last step.

Go to bed at a decent hour.

Some of you have babies and small children. You might be awakened at night. If you are the season of life with little ones in the house, establish afternoon naps or rest time for everyone. Use an alarm, so you don’t fall asleep for too long in the afternoon. This will not help you get to sleep at night, but a 30 minute power nap will give you a little boost when you have interrupted sleep at night.

2)     Drink water daily

Do you know how much water you need to drink daily?

The best way I keep up with how much water I drink is to take my weight and divide it in half. That is how many ounces of water that I need each day. In the summer, I need a bit more than that. But it is a good general rule of thumb in determining how much water you should drink daily.

Water cleanses your body. It hydrates you. It gives you energy and keeps you from being dehydrated. Drinking water helps your skin. Drinking water has many benefits. Use a refillable cup or bottle and drink up!

3)     Exercise

Your body needs daily movement.

Movement stimulates your circulatory system. It helps boost your metabolism and gives you energy. I know that sounds like it would have the opposite effect, but regular movement helps your energy level to go up.

You do not have to have an elaborate exercise routine. You can go outside with your children and walk for 15 minutes around the yard while they play.

You can play ball with them in the yard. You can get up early and do an exercise video before the children get up. You can find a friend who wants a walking partner and walk daily.

Don’t let lack of finances keep you from exercising. You do not have to spend a lot of money to exercise. You need a decent pair of tennis shoes to support your feet.

4)     Eat healthy food

Eating healthy can cost more at the grocery store than pre-packaged convenience foods, but you will reap rewards in better health. Eat a balanced diet that suits your body’s needs.

I love bread and pasta, but my stomach hurts when I eat gluten. I have had to eat more vegetables and gluten-free foods. It’s worth the research in finding gluten-free alternatives. I am always reminded at the Holidays when I have tasty treats that are not gluten free and my stomach pain comes back.

Use your menu planning time to plan new recipes. Incorporate more vegetables in your menu planning. Prep food ahead of time to make it easy to cook each day. Teach your children to cook and enjoy spending time teaching them healthy food options.

5)     Relax and do something you enjoy

Do you remember what your hobbies use to be? Do you still take time to do any of them? Your interests may change over time, but you need to do something you enjoy on a regular basis. You need to relax and unwind. Being a homeschool mom is a lot of work, and you need to take care of yourself.

6)     Have a regular date night

Do you have regular dates with your spouse? You need this time for your relationship. One day the children will be grown and gone, and you will want to have a good relationship with your spouse. You don’t want to get to that point in life and realize that you have neglected your marriage relationship. This is still a part of self-care even if it involves someone else. Nurture your relationship.

Hopefully, I have given you some ideas and inspiration to take care of yourself daily.

Send me pictures of your progress this week in zone 1!

Your Home Blessing for today is to empty the trash, sweep, and mop.

My menu plan for Friday is take out.

Have a wonderful weekend!