I have never been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions. They always seem to be things that you are able to quit after a month or two. As the new year approaches though, you should look at your long term health as a worthwhile New Year’s resolution. When you have children your focus shifts from you to them. It may not be something you even realize is happening. But those haircuts get fewer and farther between, the mani-pedis even less, and your health sometimes moves to the back burner. When your focus is on others, you may have a hard time realizing that taking care of yourself is important. There have been two times in my mothering “career” where I had to step back and realize that my health needed to be more of a priority – it was hard but it was necessary.
Here are three tips to help you to make sure you are taking care of yourself:
- The most important one: Make sure you go to the doctor. No matter what your situation is there is a doctor for everything! It doesn’t even have to be a major illness, but even the smallest ailments can turn into major issues if left untreated.
- Document what is bothering you. Make sure you are detailed so when you go to see your doctor you can get it taken care of in one visit or as few visits as possible.
- Ask for help. This one was the most difficult for me. I don’t like to ask and/or accept help. It makes me feel weak and I don’t like to do it, but it is vital to your well-being. Sometimes it can be as small as asking your husband to take care of dinner and bathing the kids so you can have an early night. If you need someone to come and take the kids for a bit so you can get some rest, do it. If you need a meal train because of a long-term health issue ask a good friend to help set one up. There are people who love you, and want to swoop in and save your day!
When you run into these situations your world can be turned upside down. The appointments can seem to keep coming and unfortunately your household does not stop spinning. So on top of feeling terrible you have to continue taking care of everyone else. It is extremely important to take care of yourself, so you can start to feel better and get your health under control. That way when the time comes you are able to get back in the swing of things and enjoy your life and your kids again!
