Easy Steps To Empower Yourself Today And Why It’s Important – Everyday
What is Self-Care Sunday? Time for YOU. Time to Empower Yourself. Why Sundays? It’s a new start. A new week. A fresh, new mindset. Think of it as a reboot. Set the tone for not only your day, but your week, your energy, the ability to accomplish what you want, feel fresh, renewed and live with joyful and positive energy.
Set up your new week-it’s Self-Care Sunday. Empower Yourself Today. And here is why it is so important and easy steps to make it happen.
Don’t Be A Sponge
Bad energy and bad vibes and negativity from others can deeply impact our psyche and therefore, our everyday. Work on being conscious of it (also know as People Pleasing) as can suffocate you. I know from personal experience and I work on it everyday. DO NOT absorb someone else’s negativity, bad mood, judgement or criticism. (THIS TAKES PRACTICE)! Who knows? That could be all about THEM or their bad day – having nothing to do with you. Practice taking self-inventory of your feelings and emotions. Just because someone else is negative doesn’t mean you have to be as well.
Perfectionism Sucks
The life out of you. Yep, perfectionism will absolutely suck you and your spirit dry. It is NOT – as previously believed, a badge of honor. It is an albatross that will suffocate you. I have practiced being a perfectionist most of my life, and FAILED. And therefore, what happens? I always feel like I’m a failure. IN THE PAST. To be honest, that really is one of the reasons The Empowered Mom was born. My baby. But to share with everyone. Here’s the thing, perfectionism is IMPOSSIBLE! Trust me when I say we are not -and cannot be perfect. It is unattainable. So, yeah, that whole thing that you must be perfect is absolute complete BULL. You want to be perfect, here’s what happens: you literally are setting yourself for failure, for disappointment, for always being LESS THAN. Here’s why, some reflection on Imperkfekt Perfecshunalism – let that go, my friend. Oh! And perfectionism, that is NOT your friend.
Stop Comparing
Oh Sweet Jesus. Give us strength. We all do it. it’s cultural – ESPECIALLY for women. and ESPECIALLY being our own worst critic. You would never talk to your best friend or your child the way you talk to yourself and tear yourself down. And for all that is holy in this world – DO NOT LET social media lure you into the filtered, staged, superficial stupidity it can be. Do not fall prey to its power. Do not let likes, or clicks or comments or followers define you. And that stands true for every day, real life, off the online world. What about at work, when you think she is doing better, or that mom at school whose kids are always perfectly dressed, her hair is always done, she’s always active and always on time and ugh, always PRESENT. Winning the mom award.
How about your neighbor’s perfectly manicured lawn or their house or their perceived “perfect marriage”. What about what they look like, how much they weigh and how they always wear the best clothes. Her thighs are toned. Her arms don’t flab. Oh yeah, and she has the perfect bubble butt.
Or, how about about what your friend has accomplished life, career, volunteering, at church, on that perfect pedestal – and here’s you, in the same stained, oversized t-shirt, watching the mind-numbing but sometimes soul-soothing and escapism of reality tv trash and not able to fit into maybe 60% of what’s in your closet. All this while your’e having a cocktail and eating cheese fries. WITH bacon.
Guess what my love. We will NEVER measure up if you look at others, if you believe the social media BS. If you listen to our culture always judging women as either “just a mom” or a career woman if she’s that – she is somehow she’s neglecting her kids. It’s a ridiculous cultural and thereby internal perception and belief. We then set that on ourselves. We will NEVER measure up to FAKE, MADE UP, PERCEIVED PERFECTION. Flat out: i’s a lie. it’s doesn’t exist. Those who ‘have it all’ and make it seem as effortlessly as their Size 4 clothes filling their perfectly organized closets and their perfect children and perfect attitude and perfect lives. HA! Let’s get real here people. That is all an illusion. Sucking up your soul. There is NO PERFECT mom – there is The Empowered MOM. Comparison is a killer. don’t let it kill your soul.
Give Yourself Grace
As moms, we always teach our kids the importance of kindess, don’t we? We want them not to judge, not to condemn, not to break others down. We teach them kindness, forgiveness, getting up after a mistake, becoming stronger for it, being resilient and encouraging and loving each other. Have you ever REALLY thought about how empowering and how incredibly POWERFUL and life-changing it will be – if only we treated ourselves the same way. I know. Think about it. It’s profound. Be as kind and loving and caring and give grace to YOURSELF as much as to others. Wow. How that alone could change your life.
Take Even a Few Minutes For Yourself
A bath, a run, minutes to read, journaling, and yes, if you want and choose: that well-deserved glass(es) of wine. My preference: in the bubble bath, with bath salts, tons of candles, relaxing spa music and books. OH! and CRUCIAL: when I close those doors to the bathroom – that is my respite – NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE is allowed inside. It may be 10 minutes, it may be 30 minutes – as busy moms, we don’t always have the luxury of a lot of time pampering ourselves. This is a perceived as a selfish, prima donna indulgence, However, this is peaceful healing, moments of meditation and caring for your precious soul. Sometimes I can literally feel the stress dissipate and my blood pressure decline. I breathe in a lot of great smelling candles, soothing music and renew my spirit and my strength. Absorbed not only by the warm, sudsy water, but by the restorative power of empowering myself by taking care of MYSELF. Yep, even a bath can be that powerful. But whatever empowers you, DO IT!
Make it a practice
Set a goal of every Sunday. Start now. Start today. Make it easy, make it custom-made for you. Let it vary depending on what time you have or what’s on your mind or your goals or the negative events of the past week. it doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive or a burden. It’s simple, sometimes small, small bites at a time. What it is you can do that will EMPOWERING you? Whatever that looks like for you, whatever works in your lifestyle, literally it can be as simple as possible. But! It’s crucial. Make it a practice of taking care of yourself – FIRST.
You will be a better mother, caregiver, boss, employee, wife, friend – but most importantly a better YOU!
And by the way – do not limit to ONLY Sundays!
Send Yourself To Time Out
Look, I have been known to hide – like away from it all. Even a few minutes to catch my breath. The bathroom (a classic but doesn’t always work)l my closet – no one is allowed there but me. Husband, nope. Kids, nope. Dogs – oh, that’s a yes. And who knows what skeletons may be lurking in said closet – it is all mine, my private sanctuary. And of course, I have been known to lock myself in the wine cellar….and never want to come out – but dang it, I’m always discovered there. In reality, it’s not a secret place or a perfect place – it’s been the laundry room sometimes – but then the undone laundry sits there mocking me, so that one doesn’t work for me.
Obviously working out, or walking, or meditation, making those long-needed doctor’s appointment, and eating healthy are all part of it and crucial to empowering yourself.
Frankly, even a drive by yourself blaring the music. Whatever works for YOU is KEY. Find a few minutes, steal away and breathe out the stress and breath in empowering new energy.
Train Your Brain
Quiet the voices. Yep, those negative thoughts of less-than dragging your spirit through the mud. THAT? That is easy to do – and we don’t even realize it! Change the narrative. Write it down. Use post-it notes on the mirror. Make a list of positive comments. Forgive yourself. Always. Make time for the positive, for the incredible power of self-care. Train your brain with positive, empowering, energetic, impactful thoughts. It changes your mood, your thinking, your energy and your daily actions. Is it a miracle? No. It’s a practice. Train Your Brain to empower yourself instead of tearing yourself down. You’re worth it.
Start Today
It doesn’t HAVE to be Sunday. Take anytime you can.
Quiet the noise. Quiet the chaos. Quiet the screaming thoughts swirling in your brain about what you didn’t get done, how much you yelled, how irritable you were, what you didn’t get done at work, why the scale isn’t budging, why the house doesn’t look perfect, why you were crying, why you feel worn our and powerless. Take care, my precious sister.
It’s about kindness and love. To Ourselves. Empowering ourselves. Make selfcare part of your regimen, a natural, organic, well deserved practice.
You deserve it. Go Empower Yourself.
xoxo,
M