Okay mamas (and dads if you’re reading along too), this post is about a super important truth that took me a long time to realize. I’m talking about self-love and self-worth. As parents, we are responsible for our children, our homes, our bills, our careers, etc. We are the ones who pour selflessly into our families, but how do we refill our own cups?

I’ve learned over many years that you can’t pour into others if your own glass is empty. So, what does that mean? That means that we each need to make time to take care of ourselves. That’s hard to do sometimes because it brings a feeling of guilt for me personally, like I’m slacking from my expectations as a wife and mom. Yes, it makes me feel guilty for a minute, but I’m learning that man does it feel good too. When was the last time you called a friend up and went to lunch in nice clothes that didn’t have baby drool or sticky, toddler fingerprints on your shirt? Have you been to the gym in the last six month? Let’s be real, have you even been able to last a whole 10 minutes alone in the bathroom in the last week? Yeah, me either. Some days I’m lucky to add a fresh blast of dryshampo to my hair and slap on some makeup.

The life of a parent can be downright hard, that’s why you MUST take care of yourself and schedule “me” time. No joke, block off a time in your planner (in ink) that is 100% your time and DO IT! Maybe it’s time to nap, to workout, to read, to soak in a bubble bath, to paint, work in the garden, or to simply just be quiet. Whatever calms your soul and makes you feel refreshed, DO IT! It may seem silly and weird at first, but I promise that those around you will thank you. You know why? You will become more relaxed, more energized and just plan happier.

So right now, take a few minutes to jot down some ideas of how you can fill your own cup and then come up with a plan of when you’re going to prioritize those activities into your schedule. I’d love to hear some of the ways you rejuvenate your soul. Maybe even in a few weeks you can revisit this post and share how your life is being impacted by making yourself a priority. As for me, I’m going to jump off of here and go enjoy a hot cup of coffee and quiet time in The Word before my little hurricanes come blowing into the kitchen for breakfast.

Until next time,
Erica