Remember the saying “ You can’t pour from an empty cup! “ ? It’s popular, because it’s true! We know how demanding and all consuming it is to love, care and nurture your babies and families, which is why we are always reminding our members to prioritize their own needs as well as they do the needs of everyone else.

The practice of self-care is not selfish- in fact, it’s the exact opposite. However, it can be hard to figure out HOW to do it while also balancing the often unpredictable and busy family calendar. Today we thought we would share 6 easy ways you can incorporate some daily, weekly or monthly self-care rituals that are bound to leaving you feeling more fulfilled, content, patient and happy!

1. Drink Water

Seems simple enough, but most of us are pretty dehydrated. It can take some time to adapt to increasing your water intakes (if you’re not use to it), but if you do we PROMISE you will feel better! Dehydration can impact our mood, our brain function and how our bodies recover after exercise - and digests food. It can be helpful to track your water intake, especially when you are not used to sipping throughout the day. There are tons of free apps out there, make your smart phone work for you and track away!! We also love a fun mug/tumbler that you would enjoy drinking from. These Costco knockoffs of the Stanley Brand (most recently featured on an SNL Skit) are great!

2. Move your body

You know we are big fans of regular, consistent exercise. There are lots of reasons why we priortitize our movement and commit to regular, short and consistent workouts each week, but one of the immediate benefits of exercise is a better mood! Almost everyone leaves a workout, a walk or a spontaneous dance party better and happier than when they started. We’re definitely in it for the Endorphins!

3. Practice Meditation, Breath work, or other mindfulness activity

We know meditation can be hard to incorporate into your daily practice. So why don’t you start with only committing 1-2 minutes of breath work each day. As your confidence grows and your skills improve you can add more time. Practicing deep breathing is a fantastic way to regulate your vagus nerve (your parasympathetic system). People who are learning to manage their anxiety often add in breathwork to calm the mind and refocus the brain to the present (anxiety LOVES to live in the future or the past) Practicing breath work at the start of your day, before you drink any caffeine BUT after some water, is a great way to put yourself first every day. Practicing again for 1-2 minutes each night as part of your wind-down routine can also set up a lovely bedtime ritual. You can always add more time if you need it, but alsmot everyone has 1-2 minutes in the morning and evening to start a practice of mindfulness.

4. Connect with a friend

Social connections are essential to our well-being. The more connected we are, the less likely we are to experience depression, isolation and loneliness. Motherhood and parenting can be a very isolating experience and far too many mothers and parents are often left on their own with little support. It can be hard to make friends as an adult, but joining community groups is a great way to start to meet people who have the same interests or are in the same stage of life as you. Nurturing the friendships you have already made can be difficult once babies and kids come along, but scheduling a 15 minute call with your bestie (even better if it’s a video call) can do so much to make you feel like yourself.

5. Create a night time ritual

Many parents work very hard to create the ideal environment for good bedtime sleep for babies, toddler and kiddos, but we think you deserve that too! If you love essential oils, use your diffuser to create a calming space in your bedroom. If you love to soak in the tub, make yourself a bath every night and do that vs streaming or scrolling. Read a book for 20 minutes before you go to sleep. These are all uncomplicated and simple rituals that can help you sleep better, achieve better sleep and feel good (even if a baby is still waking you through the night)

6. Practice gratitude

Start , or end, your day recording 3-5 things you are grateful for. The more specific you are the better. You might choose to record your thoughts in a journal, a jar or using an app! Either way we recommend you add this practice to something you already do. We call it habit stacking. For example, if you always start your day with water & tea, have a notebook and pen to record a few items you are grateful for from the previous day. Did you know that people who practice gratitude every day are happier, may experience less stress, have more positive attitude and can handle more of life’s unpredictable events?? As the saying goes “The days are long, but the years are short”. Praciting gratitude daily may help you appreciate each day a little more, especially if you are in a season of hard.

We hope we have inspired you to carve out a little more time for yourself each day! Consider it an act of self-parenting. What is self-parenting? It’s recognizing what your needs are and taking the appropriate action or initiative to ensure your own wellbeing. These are not always easy skills to incorporate, especially if you have never seen it modelled before, but with a little practice we know you can do it!

Fitmama Strong Durham has been operating in the Durham Region since 2010. We offer prenatal fitness, prenatal yoga, babywearing fitness, stroller fitness, live-online classes and and on-demand library of workouts. Our in-person and online community is a thriving and welcoming space for you and your littles. Regardless of where you are in your parenting journey, we are here for you!

#startwithus and #growwithus by purchasing one of our class passes. We can’t wait to have you join us! (