Fill Your Cup

How full is your cup? I’m sure many of you have heard the quote “you can’t pour from an empty cup, take care of yourself first”. This is a concept I discuss with almost everyone who walks into my office, especially with moms. Because of the numerous roles we play as women, many of us tend to put our own needs last, when we should be putting ourselves on the top of that list. This can be a difficult shift to make, but it is essential for our well being. We know that if we are not taking care of ourselves, our stress levels remain high, which can have both emotional and physical consequences.

When I bring up the words “self- care”, there seems to be this idea that self-care is something elaborate and glamorous that requires a lot of time and money, which is a misconception that a lot of people have. I encourage women to think of whatever it might be that feels good to them, gives them energy, and helps to ground them in the chaos of everyday life. I remind moms particularly that we often need to get creative with our self-care ideas. Although it is important to engage in kid-free activities outside of the home, there can be many barriers that get in the way of this being a frequent occurrence, so it’s essential to find those little things daily that can fill your cup. This may change over time, and that’s okay. As a mom of 3 young children myself, this is something that I often need to remind myself of. Here are some basic ideas to guide your self-care practices.

• Start your day in a different way. If we can start our day with a full cup, we can feel more equipped to face the business of the day and fulfill our roles. I love to get up before everyone else in the house and have some quiet time to myself.
• Be active! This does not necessarily need to be an hour at the gym each day. Find what feels good to you, even if that is a short walk. Sometimes I even walk around the park while the kids are playing!
• Eat well. What we put in our body can play a role in how we feel emotionally. A balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins are encouraged.
• Watch your expectations! Be fair to you, ask yourself: Would I have this same expectation of anyone else?
• Utilize your support network and ask for help if/when needed.
• Practice mindfulness, this can be helpful to ground yourself in the business of life. I like the smart phone app “Meditation Studio”, but there are a lot of others out there too.
• Take small breaks in your day to check in with yourself, reset if needed
• Limit use of social media. There is so much room for comparison which can negatively affect how we feel about ourselves. Find a good, encouraging podcast instead-much better use of your time!
• Have fun! Don’t take yourself or life so seriously all the time

We would love to hear what fills your cup!