A mother doing yoga at home. Home yoga. Online yoga.

7 Simple Self-Care Ideas for Mindful Mums

motherhood self-care wellbeing Sep 27, 2018

What comes to your mind when you hear the word self-care? Does it sound selfish? Or self-indulgent? I think self-care is essential for our overall health & wellbeing and everyone should make time for it. As a mum, we are always giving our attention to our little ones. This constant giving can be draining and exhausting especially if you're forgetting to give it back to yourself. We need to take time to give ourselves full attention we truly deserve on a regular basis because we are a human being before mum! Remember what we hear on airplane before we take off? Put your mask on first before assisting others. If you don't take time to care for yourself, we cannot care for anyone. We just can't pour from an empty cup. I don't want to see you putting yourself at the bottom of the list. I don't want to see your resentment building up inside. Take action today so your needs are met before you explode! So here are 7 simple ideas to get you started. I'd love to hear about your favourite self-care rituals!

1. Nature walk

Take time to connect with the Mother Nature. Listen to the birds chirping and enjoy the smell of the flowers. Go barefoot walking on the beach and feel the sand under your feet. Go bushwalking or have a walk along the river or around the lake, taking in the beauty of natural landscapes. Soak up the sun and Vitamin D for at least 10 minutes a day. Many people find themselves Vitamin D deficient (or many are unaware of it) because we avoid the sun exposure all together for the risk of getting skin cancer especially in Australia. In my opinion, many of us spend way too much time sitting indoor (myself included!), so we need to get out of the house and go get some fresh air daily. Our body is designed to move and not to sit in front of the screen all day!

2. Go screen free

There is so much noise and stimulus in the world today. TV, mobile phones, tablets and social media... It feels like non-stop! And we all know that these things are highly addictive and negatively affecting the quality of our attention. Be intentional and selective of how much time you spend on your screen. Take time to switch off your devices for a few hours a day or even a whole day every now and then. There is such a sense of freedom when you can switch off completely and be fully present with yourself and your family.

3. Have a bath

Oh I cannot tell you how much I love bathing! One of the biggest reasons is because it helps me release muscular tension. Another is because I get cold hands and feet (even in the middle of summer if the room is air-coned!) and bathing helps with that a lot. I’m from Japan and bathing is a big part of our culture too! Add a candle, some Epsom salts and essential oils for the extra touch…

4. Eat organic, whole foods

Nourish your body with organic whole foods! And avoid processed foods as much as you can. I started taking this very seriously during pregnancy and especially after the birth of my daughter. I wanted natural, chemical free things for her. And of course, for my own health & wellbeing too. I must admit I used to eat out quite a lot before I had my daughter. But I much prefer home cooked meals with organic ingredients, knowing exactly what I’m putting into my mouth.

5. Hang out with your tribe

Do you feel being a mum is more isolating than you thought? You're not the only one! Long hours of breastfeeding and working around your bub's nap routines do make us home bound. Plus bubs often get sick too so there are more reasons why we need to stay at home away from others...But if you agree with me, we are social beings and can't live in isolation from others. If you're experiencing the feeling of isolation and loneliness, find a local playgroup or mother's group and be proactive in finding other like-minded mums in your area. Or find a baby-friendly activity you can go to and enjoy yourself. Making friends as adults is not easy sometimes but if you follow your passion and interests, you will always find other like-minded people. Spend time with people who inspire you and uplift you!

I invite you to come join our FREE Facebook group community called Mindful Mum CommUNITY. Everyone is welcome to be a part of our group regardless of where you live in the world. This is where I hang out to share special events, Facebook Lives, giveaway or scholarship opportunities. Here’s the link to find out more. Can't wait to connect with you on the inside!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mindfulmumcommunity

6. Meditate

So many of us breathe unconsciously throughout the day, yet breaths are such powerful tools to affect the state of our mind & body. Meditation has been one of my essential self-care tools for many years. My biggest advice to you is to start small and establish short consistent practice rather than doing it only once a week. If you're new to meditation, you can start with just 3 or 5 minutes a day. It's the practice of giving your full attention to each breath, each inhalation and each exhalation without interfering or manipulating the natural flow of breath. I teach mindfulness of breathing inside my online membership, Mindful Mama Membership if you're interested in receiving guidance from me.

7. Stretch

We create so much tension and tightness throughout a day. As a mum, I remember how challenging breastfeeding was for me. Sitting and being in the same position for such a long period of time. And from lifting and carrying our little ones, many of us get achy neck, shoulders or back… If we don’t consciously release this daily, it keeps accumulating in our body and there is a chance of this becoming a chronic pain. If you're not nursing your baby, do you drive a lot? Or sit in front of the screen all day? Yoga is a wonderful way to release tension and tightness in our body without having to rely on another person. (e.g. getting massage or acupuncture)

Hope this helps and you've got a few new ideas to nurture and nourish you. Remember to do at least one thing to take a good care of yourself daily even if you've got a newborn and severely sleep deprived. If you don't take care of yourself, who will? Your body will thank you for it!

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About Chika

Chika is the founder of Wa Yoga (Wa is a Japanese word meaning harmony). She is a Yoga Australia registered teacher, student of yoga for over 14 years, teaching yoga & mindfulness for 9 years. As a mum to a 6-year old daughter, she understands challenges many mums face including shortage of time and lack of connection. She believes in the power of what we do every day so she's passionate about helping you establish short, simple & sustainable practice. She specialises in offering online yoga courses and membership for mothers of young children and young families. Her mission is to inspire and motivate more mums to start incorporating yoga & mindfulness into their daily self-care ritual so more kids have early access to yoga & mindfulness.

She is a creator of Mindful Mama Membership, the online membership for mothers who aspire to embrace daily practice of yoga, mindfulness & Ayurveda. If you wanna reduce stress and find more calm so that you can be more present & patient with your kids, this online membership is perfect for you. This is the only place where she can offer you ongoing support all year around. You can find out more about this online membership by <<CLICKING HERE>>

7 Simple Self-Care Ideas for Mindful Mums

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