Resourceful-Mom

Taking care of yourself = A better mood

Often times, I find that I don’t think about properly taking care of myself until I start feeling bad physically and mentally.  As a mom with multiple things on my list of things to do, it’s very easy to end up at bottom of the list.  Recently, I’ve beat myself up because I know what to do – I just have stints of laziness.  I’ve decided to get the things “I KNOW” work out of my head and written down.  Hopefully, you can find a few tips that you can implement.

• Drink Water - The body repairs itself while we’re sleeping and drinking water helps tremendously in the process. Although I don’t drink water like a fish,  I do have a method for getting in my 64 ounces.  I have found that keeping one of those 2 liter plastic water bottles with me while in route to work/home or while sitting at my desk is easier than going to get 8 glasses of water throughout the day. Without having to remind myself to drink water, I’m drinking it as I go along and it’s helped me tremendously.  Of course, we should make sure we’re drinking water when dieting and exercising; however, it should be a part of our daily routine anyway.
• Decrease or Eliminate Red Meat and Pork – When all of the stars are aligned, I can substitute red meat and pork with ground turkey, chicken and fish.   The biggest way I win in this area is I simply don’t purchase any red meat or pork products while grocery shopping so they never make it in the house.  It’s been years since I’ve bought pork or beef home from the grocery store.  There are times; however, when the stars are slightly off and I’ll fall victim to a hamburger or an order of bbq ribs – Oh the shame.
• Limit Fast Food - Not only will your wallet thank you for this one but so will your waistline. Fast food restaurants fill their foods with preservatives and salt (I think that’s an oxymoron). I’m sure you’ve seen the movie, these foods are simply not good for you. As a mom, I understand the need to grab something quick to eat but be mindful of how often you’re making these trips to the drive-thru.  These days there are some healthier choices on the menu so, if at all possible, steer towards those.  I recognize ordering a salad from the golden arches might not go over well with the kids but chances are they don’t feel very well after eating an ENLARGED burger and fries.
• Take Your Vitamins - This one’s important because it’s almost impossible to get in all the nutrients you need to remain healthy through your diet along.  Find a good multi-vitamin, in a form that’s best for you (capsule, tablet or liquid) and commit to taking it every day.  As a side note, most vitamins have the added benefit of giving you energy so try not to take them too late in the evening as they may keep you awake at night.
• Exercise – You have got to get moving.  Walk around the block, the track at a local school or around your building during your lunch break.  Walking, considered cardio, burns calories (i.e. fat).  If you aren’t doing something to get your heart rate up, you aren’t burning fat. I’m sure you’ve heard that muscle weights more than fat. If you don’t burn fat first and build muscle later, you’ll notice that your weight will increase and your clothes will fit tighter.  There are exercises you can do from home so I’m not suggesting that you spend money to go to a gym unless you’ve got your heart (no pun intented) set on it.  Implementing this one step will result in your being more productive and in a better mood almost immediately.
• Lessen Your Caffeine - Caffeine has proven to be an issue for me several times in my life.  When I was 19 years old, my doctor explained that the shortness of breath I was experiencing was a result of the 4 cups of coffee I drank every morning.  More recently, I’ve noticed that I can trigger PMS type mood swings by downing multiple cups of coffee without having breakfast.  Yes, I guess it goes without saying, I enjoy coffee but I have to monitor my intake. If you’ve noticed adverse reactions  (nervousness/jitters, anxiety attacks, shortness of breath or irritability) after having anything with caffeine (tea, cola, coffee, chocolate, etc) make a mental note and lessen the amount you consume.
• Block Out Time For Yourself - Many times, after taking a vacation with the kids, I needed a vacation. Disney World is an opportunity to connect, or depending on how busy you’ve been, reconnect with your kids.  After running from one ride to another, searching under hotel beds for “the other” sock and then traveling back home, I was exhausted.  Luckily, with the new year comes the replenishing of vacation time.  Before you start allotting all of your vacation time to family vacations, doctor appointments and whatever else you can justify, save a few days for yourself.  The only rule concerning this is that you do not tell ANYONE when you decide to take these days off.  Take the kids to school, daycare or to the babysitters just as you would any other day.  Later, get busy doing whatever you feel like doing. Read a book, catch a matinee, have a massage or grab a latte and walk around the mall. I’d like to say that you can’t do any chores but if mopping the floors would give you peace of mind until the next day you’ve set aside for yourself, have at it.

So, in a nutshell, be mindful of what you eat, excercise and take some time for yourself – yep, all stuff you already know.