I remember hearing about women turning 30 and things changing immediately. She instantly feels different. I didn’t feel that, at first. Now, a full year into my 30’s, I definitely understand the change women are referring to. It isn’t necessarily a good or bad change, just an evolution to the next stage in life. As a thirty-year-old, I have realized that life is not that same as in your twenties, in more ways than one.
For instance, you know that joke you hear as a young lady (pre-30’s) from all the older women saying “Eat what you want now because once you hit 30, it’s all over!”? I am here to tell you, THEY ARE NOT LYING! At 30, I am no longer as energetic or quick and I don’t have the same metabolism I did in my younger days. As a woman who spent all of her 20’s under 130 pounds, it was new to me to see myself back at my old high school weight of 135 when I stepped on the scale a few months back. While my eating habits had changed a bit, there were no drastic changes I can recall. With that observation, I knew that I needed to start taking care of my body (and myself) again before it was too late.
Luckily, I had this same epiphany in my 25th year, so I became obsessed with health and fitness. Granted, years ago I only had one child and different circumstances. Now, as a wife and mother to a blended family, I had to learn to take a few different approaches to take care of myself or practicing self-care. Sometimes, we don’t have the time to go to the gym, or write a list out of what we can and can’t eat, drive all the way to the beach for a jog because I “enjoy the scenery” or just sit and enjoy our favorite smelling candle with a nice glass of wine. Even though all of those things are amazing forms of self-care, not all of us have those opportunities very often. No problem, just create the opportunity! As a mommy, I have developed some easy, quick and if used consistently, effective tools to help you develop self-care routines and implement them into your daily life.
1. Implement a morning routine!
I’ve noticed that dedicating the first hour after I wake up to a hobby (not my phone, emails, social media, etc.) makes my day not only smoothly, but good! A few of my favorite morning rituals include a quick workout (here’s a quick an easy routine) reading, meditating or even just sitting in silence. Not everyone is a morning person, and that’s ok! We all have clocks and alarms and unless you have a graveyard shift or a sleeping disorder, there is no logical reason to complain when it’s time to wake up. It’s a gift in itself to have the chance to start a new day. Choose one hobby to add to your morning routine. Be consistent with it for at least 10 days, and you will slowly see the progress in both your mornings and your mood throughout the day!
2. Develop healthy eating habits
Again, this is being written by a woman who has surpassed her 20’s. For all of my young readers who can still eat Cheetos for breakfast and still wear a crop top that night, GOD BLESS YOU, SIS! Live your best life, OK! Now, for the rest of us, we have to be mindful! As busy women, sometimes it’s a lot easier to stop and grab fast food or eat something out of a package that’s quick and convenient. Ladies, don’t cheat yourselves, treat yourselves! Developing healthy eating habits is one of the most important and significant things you can do for yourself, not just your body. Notice, I didn’t say “diet”. Sometimes, we allow terms to get our heads messed up and stress us out to no return. Just make the choice to be mindful of what you eat, how much you eat and how often you eat. The ultimate goal is to look and feel good naked. Personally, I have never been a person who “loves food”. I know people who do, however, and I can understand how this may be a struggle. Don’t be discouraged. You have to decide how much you love yourself. A few weeks of solid discipline and consistency and you will definitely see the results in both your body and your lifestyle. If all else fails, meal prep! Check out my IG page @CraveandCater for some great options for meals!
3. Do for YOU!
Sometimes, we make the mistake of thinking that we are too busy to do things for ourselves. Quite the contrary. We actually use a lot of time to ourselves, especially being glued to our phones or devices every few minutes. It’s simply about allocating your time. The point is to do something you don’t necessarily feel obligated to do daily, but you WANT to do. If you don’t know what you want to do, do anything! Even if it’s something as simple as going to the beauty supply or browsing your favorite designer store to window shop. It’s all about doing things that genuinely make you Happy. You can google “self-care tips” and find 100’s of ideas on ways to practice self-care, even if it’s a quick idea like taking a nap or using your favorite body lotion. Eventually, you will make yourself an obligation. Self-care doesn’t have to be extreme or take long, it is simply a moment where you put yourself and your feelings, first.
Life can be overwhelming if we allow that. If you take care of yourself, you won’t have to be bothered by the universe and the effect it may have on you because you will be too busy having your effect on the universe! Take the time to love and appreciate yourself. We aren’t getting any younger. Take that trip, love that man, go to that class, raise that baby and don’t think twice about it. Do whatever it takes to make yourself happy without hurting or hindering anyone else’s path.
It’s a great day to have a great day!
bombmama 