*Templates can be found at the bottom of this article! ❤
*If you’re the mama of a baby, you may like these templates (found at the bottom of this older post) better!
The topic of self-care tends to make me uncomfortable. You too? I don’t love the buzzword meaning it’s come to hold of splurging and spoiling ourselves… If we hold our self-care to that standard, I think we’ll face disappointment regularly (at least I will) because that just isn’t often realistic. Don’t get me wrong, I think exciting experiences for enjoyment are great, even biblical! But taking good care of yourself can be so much more simple and should be a daily practice. Sometimes I think we fail to practice good self-care, or maybe we even just get sucked into negative self talk that we can’t afford to keep up with “self-care” because it’s intimidating. Or maybe, you really just don’t buy into self-care at all…
As women, we have a unique gift of taking care of others. Even if you don’t view yourself that way, I bet the people in your life would say it for you. We were created with a huge capacity to love and care for our people! You know what else I find we tend to have in common? The bad habit of caring for ourselves least of all. You know what I mean… Especially if you’re a mama, I KNOW you’ve either said or heard another mom say one or more of these things: “I can’t find the time to shower, I’m a mom.” “My kids are always dressed so cute, but all I can manage to get on are the same leggings I wore yesterday.” “I can’t remember the last time I drank a warm cup of coffee or had actual quiet time.” “I haven’t slept all the way through the night in years.” “My husband and I don’t date, we’re parents!” (oh, please my tips on that topic here!) “Self-care?! What’s that?!”
Am I talking to you? Last month my husband and I got away for a few baby-free nights together for the first time in almost a year. During that time we connected and even spent some alone time recharging and refreshing… it was INCREDIBLE! I forgot what it felt like to spend a couple hours, completely alone, doing whatever I wanted. I seriously ended that day a new woman and it got me thinking, why do I wait so long to do small things that are so positively impactful for me? Why do I prioritize things that fill my tank very last? As a strength, that sacrificial love is innate and so honorable! But it can become a weakness when we use it as an excuse to neglect ourselves as a woman intentionally created and personally loved; when we fail to treat ourselves like a temple of the Holy Spirit because “we just don’t have time.”
Listen, that weekend I asked a question in my stories: “What’s your favorite way to practice simple self-care?” I got some GREAT answers! Taking a bath, lighting a candle, exercising, waking up early to read the Bible alone in the morning, getting fresh air… I also got a bunch of the responses I mentioned above and it challenged me! So now I’m challenging you. Let’s get better at this! Because you know what happened for me after those days away? I felt a renewed ability to approach my husband with a positive override, a fresh energy to have fun with my family and see the big picture, a new measure of patience for my son that I didn’t even realize was so lacking!… It was a game changer! Maybe you get away for a weekend, maybe just one date night (or date hour?!), maybe it’s simply solo errands! Do whatever it is that’s doable for you! But not necessarily whatever is comfortable! 😉
I’m challenging you to get outside your comfort zone for the sake of the you that isn’t called “mom, mama, or mommy.” And this is probably going to take some effort. If it was easy we’d do it all the time! Communicate with your husband about this need and get him on board to give you some alone time, humble yourself and ask for help from a babysitter, make room in your schedule and give yourself permission to do something fun without the kids, maybe you need to assume a little more discipline and wake up earlier than your littles to start your day off differently… you know what it is you need! Whatever that is – make yourself a priority in some way this week!
Taking “you time” is not selfish. It’s an investment!
Please know I say this in love and know it’s hard! There’s no shame here friends! Just encouragement from someone who knows you were created to shine and also knows how easy it is to let your candle burn out. Taking “you time” is not selfish. It’s an investment! (In your own health AND your relationships with your family!) I believe it so much, I created this downloadable, printable template to leave behind while you’re away. For me, preparedness equals peace of mind and gives me that extra push I need to prioritize well! I hope this simple tool does the same for you! 🙂
Just click the link below your favorite option to download!
When my own son was younger and I was preparing to be away from him over night for the first time, I created a similar resource that fit my needs better as the mom of a younger baby. If that’s you, or you know one, you can find them at the end of this older blog post!
Please send these to a mama friend if you think it would bless them! Or even share it to your social media so other moms might give it a read and utilize this resource! My prayer is that it serves as many people as possible and every time you help me to that it means the world! 🙂
The Guest Room 
Leave a Reply