As a mom, I think it is very important to take care of your self and have routines in place that make you feel your best. Think to yourself what are areas that I need to improve on? Is there something that has been bothering you that you have put on the back burner? What fills up your mental tank, what relaxes you, what can you do to make yourself feel better so you can be your best self for your family?
I have a list of 8 things that I found to make me feel my best and energize me on the daily. Let’s get to it…..
- Sleep. Sleep is so important to your health and well-being. I’m a person that needs a lot of it and it is extremely important to my happiness and health. I need at least 7 hours to function and try to get 8 hours of sleep a night and prefer to get 9 hours on one of the weekend nights.
- How I accomplish this: determine what time I have to wake up and then you have a goal of what time you need to be in bed by.
- For me, I need to be asleep by 11pm and have a wake-up time of 7am.
- My husband also adores and needs his sleep. He gets to sleep in on Saturday mornings and I get to sleep in on Sunday mornings. This works very well for us and we have done it for years.
- I have no shame in an afternoon catnap if it is needed. Sometimes before dinner/making lunches/bedtime routine, I need 30 mins to recharge my batteries and my boys know this as quiet time and it works well for our family.
- I wear an Apple Watch and I love tracking how much sleep I get
- My Right before bedtime routine:
- Ear plugs: these Mack’s earplugs save my life because I’m a light sleeper
- Lip Balm: I love this lip repair at night time. I wake up and feel like my lips are moisturized, not chapped and rehydrated.
- Hand Cream: I get very dry hands during the winter months but I love putting this repair cream on my hands nightly. It is not oily and helps fight the wrinkles in your hands.
- Washing Face. Ladies if you don’t do this nightly, you need to force yourself in making this a habit. My mom always told me, “you only have one face so take care of it!” This advice has stayed with me and I’m a regular face washer every day no matter what. I never go to bed with make-up on, it’s terrible for your face.
- I use this face wash-Aveeno clear complexion cleanser and find that it gets all my make up off and my face feels nice & clean afterward.
- I use Rodan + Fields routine and find that my face feels better and brighter. This routine includes,
- a deep exfoliating wash,
- intensive brightening toner,
- brightening complex creams with Retinol and vitamin c formula,
- multi-function eye cream.
- I add in Olay-Firming night cream to my neck and my chest to help prevent wrinkles.
- I also use a Hyaluronic Acid Serum (it helps add hydration to your skin, protects lipid barrier & tightens overall complexion).
- In the morning I use the Broad Spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen before I put on my make-up.
- Find a system that works for you but make sure it includes: a cleanser/wipe, toner (this helps get off the rest of the make-up and dirt that the cleanser didn’t get), exfoliate (I love this scrub) a few times a week, Retinol (reduces fine lines & wrinkles while also increasing the production of collagen), eye cream (put eye cream around your mouth too to help fight your smile wrinkles.
- Daily Vitamins
- Vitamin C 500mg- Helps support the immune system
- Magnesium 400mg- Helps support nerve, muscle & heart
- Super B-Complex- Cellular energy production & antioxidant support
- Lutein- Supports eye health
- Fiber-Digestive health, lower cholesterol, maintain healthy blood sugar levels
- Women’s multi-vitamin- that supports nails, hair & skin
- L-Lysine-Essential amino acid
- Biotin- 10,000mcg, Promotes healthy Hair, Skin & nails, energy support
- Turmeric- Supports healthy inflammation response
- Fish Oil-Supports healthy heart
- Vitamin D- Supports Bone, teeth, muscle & immune health
- I’m the first to admit I’m a vitamin junkie. I invest money into my supplements and take them daily. I prefer the brand NatureMade.
- I use this vitamin container, it holds all these vitamins for a 2 week supply and is great for travel.
- I feel better and some personal issues have cleared up for me since I have been consistent in taking vitamins.
- Exercise
- I have a love/hate relationship with this one. I’ve always struggled with being consistent. However, my body thrives on workouts.
- Working out helps my energy levels
- It also helps my stress levels & anxiety to stay lower
- Does wonders for my mental state of mind
- My attainable goal: 3 workouts/week & active every day
- Find someone that is good at providing you with accountability, for me this is Jason. He has been consistent for years and definitely holds me to it…which I need at times.
- Figure out what physical activity you enjoy. For me it’s going to the gym, taking classes, elliptical and lots of weight training routines. I always end my workout with a good stretching routine that I learned back when I danced at Mater Dei High School.
- When I joined the gym I got a great deal on personal trainer sessions and I have loved it. It helped me know how to use the equipment, change up my routines and know the proper placement when lifting weights.
- Meditation
- This happens for me first thing when I wake up in the morning.
- I write in my daily gratitude journal. It helps me to start off my day on a positive note and to be thankful for my blessings. My journal has 5 lines per day and I love using it.
- Bible study. Readings per day, followed by questions. I change this up some and if I’m not doing a study then I read a little of an uplifting thought-provoking book. Right now it’s, The Daily Stoic, By Ryan Holiday and its on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living and it has one entry per day for the entire year. I was given this book from my friend & health coach #hustleandbliss. After I read the daily stoic, I write in a journal about my thoughts on it.
- Sometimes I use the Calm app
- Doing these things first thing in the morning centers me and gets me ready to concur the day with a positive mind-set.
- Make-up
- Almost every day I get myself put together by starting with a make-up routine. During the week it is very simple and takes 15 mins.
- My weekday routine Mon-Fri: sunblock, eyeliner, mascara, concealer (under my eyes, t-zone and by my mouth), powder, bronzer, blush and brow definer
- If I’m going out, I’ll up my game with foundation, eye shadow, illuminator and lipstick/gloss
- The bottom line is, I put make-up on for me. I feel my best with it on and ready to start my day
- Painting Nails
- When my nails are painted I feel pretty and presentable.
- I do my nails myself and I save money by doing this and they last for two weeks.
- I have a pretty good 5 point system that helps my nails stay nice for longer. I use a nail cleanser, a primer, 2 coats of nail color (I love this color), and a top coat that helps my nails dry faster.
- Doing my nails brings me Joy!
- Accessorizing
- I love to accessorize my outfits. I’m mostly an earring, necklace and bracelet type of girl.
- During the week even if I’m in a plain white shirt and black leggings, adding fun accessories helps make the outfit pop and feel more put together.
- I do have several matching everyday necklaces and earrings but for a bit now I’m liking to layer fun bracelets.
- The main places I go to get jewelry are Nordstroms, Bloomingdale’s, Nickel and Suede, Banana Republic and J. Crew
- This is one of those things that are girly and fun and makes me feel like my outfit is complete.
Some people like to take a bath, light candles, use oil diffusers, read, go for a jog, veg out. Whatever works for you, find out what it is and make it a habit of doing it for your self-care and add it to your routines. I would love to hear what makes you relax and stay healthy?