Being a mom is exhausting. Oh, it’s rewarding and you love your kids, but sometimes, you are just an exhausted mom! You know that you will be the most productive and positive influence if you have a healthy body, heart, and mind, but how do you keep yourself healthy when you’re burning the candle at both ends? How do you create a healthy mom life in between all the things?
You don’t have to do “all the things” to be a good mom. The most important part of being a good mom is taking care of yourself so you can take care of the children God has given you. These Christian self-care strategies will provide a simple framework that will help you balance your life and live a freer lifestyle without feeling like you have to do all the things.
You may have heard someone say they are going to do some self-care and this may be a trip to the hair salon, getting their nails done, taking a trip away with their girlfriends, or even just reading a book and drinking some tea. You’re probably thinking that you’d just like to hide in the bathroom for a few minutes without someone banging on the door needing mommy! While these individual experiences may provide some self-care, they are not usually a sustainable way to live from day to day. Plus, they typically only help one area of your life. The journey to being a healthy mom is multi-faceted for sure.
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Creating a Healthy Mom Daily Routine for Christian Self-Care
Now, I know, you are already exhausted, and adding one more thing to the daily checklist might just push you over the edge. This daily routine isn’t about adding things to your to-do list, but rather reducing the things on your list in an intentional and freeing way that will help you do more of the things you love and reduce the things that overwhelm you. The goal is becoming a healthier woman as you make some simple adjustments to your daily life.
Christian self-care for women isn’t about selfishly putting yourself first, it’s about protecting yourself from the pile of obligations and adding in the things that bring you joy so that you fulfill your dream of being a healthy mom who has energy, happiness, and loves to spend time with her kids. Remember, it’s a process and not a magic pill, but you will see the results immediately as you take action.
8 Strategies to Start your Journey to Becoming a Healthier Mom
Here are eight simple steps to create a Christian self-care routine for a healthy body and mind and reduce the exhausted mom feeling. They will help you take care of yourself emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally. These simple strategies will transform your life long after your nail color has chipped and fallen off and the tea is gone.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)
When you put your life into the context of your body being a temple of the Holy Spirit, then you realize that there are certain things you need to do to take care of it. It is a big responsibility to care for the body that God has given us. Keep reading to find out the eight principles of health that will help you have a healthy mind, body, and soul.
Nutrition
Good nutrition is one of the most important areas to start creating your self-care routine. Filling your fridge, lunch boxes, and the dinner table with veggies, fruit, and whole grains will help you maintain a healthy weight, and provide vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthy body and mind. Order your groceries online and save yourself some time in the store with hungry kids.
Changing your eating habits to include more whole foods such as fruit, vegetables, salads, potatoes, and whole grains can reduce your grocery bill and fill the tummies in your home with food that is good for them. Start by adding a new fruit or vegetable each day and have your kids help you find new things to try. You might be surprised how easy it is to add more healthy foods into your normal menu.
Exercise
The second way to take care of your body is by planning time each day to get some exercise. This will help to clear your brain while also shifting your mindset by releasing endorphins and serotonin which makes your brain feel less stressed and happier. Besides the mental health benefit, regular exercise also helps you maintain healthy body weight and muscle tone.
Take the kids to the park and play a game of tag. Go to the pool and swim together. Get the bikes out and go for a bike ride as a family and enjoy the sunshine together. The more you spend time outside being active, the more you will crave this. The more time you spend outside, actively getting fresh air and exercise, the more you may see your mood and outlook on life shift and become more positive as well.
Water
Your body is made up of about 70% water. This means that if your body is going to function well, you need to keep your body filled with fresh water to keep your organs working properly, enabling them to flush out the body waste. It also helps to lubricate the body joints, boosts skin health, regulates body temperature, and helps to maintain blood pressure.
Fill up your water bottle and hydrate for the day! This healthy choice can become a habit quickly and you may notice that you drink fewer “empty” calories when you hydrate with water.
Sunshine
Spending some time in the sunshine on a regular basis actually helps you sleep better at night, increases your energy, helps your memory and thinking processes, and also helps to lower your blood pressure and improves your heart health. Just spending time in the sunshine can improve your mood and lift your spirit. If you stay inside all day, you are missing the free vitamin D that God has naturally provided.
Temperance
Temperance is an old-fashioned word that may sound a bit stuffy. Merriam-Webster defines it as “moderation in action” or “restraint.” In today’s world, that simply means balance. You need balance in your time and obligations, balance in your eating, work, and play. It’s not just the kids who need a balance in their life but in order to have a healthy balance in life, you need to guard this carefully for yourself as well.
Be possessive about your calendar. Your calendar will fill up without you even realizing it and soon you have no time for the things that are most important. Limit the number of extra-curricular activities you and your family members are committed to, to reduce your overwhelm. Remember, there is no award for the mom who does the most and is the most exhausted! You do not have to do “all the things” to be a good mom. Know where your limits are and guard them carefully. There will always be one more thing you could do, but it isn’t always the best thing to fill your plate fuller.
Temperance also includes what you consume, such as what you drink, eat, and watch. Drinking 10 cups of coffee or eating 2 dozen donuts probably isn’t practicing much restraint or balance. Likewise, what you watch on Netflix, YouTube, or Instagram can consume hours of your time without you really noticing. The interesting thing about screen time is if you watch young children, they will often mimic their parents’ behaviors. If your children are always playing “texting” or some other online thing, they are probably reflecting what they see in you. You can set the example starting today.
Air
Fresh air strengthens your immune system, cleans your lungs, makes you happier, and gives you more energy and a clearer mind. When fresh air, sunshine, and exercise are combined, it sets off the endorphins in your body and helps your metabolism, strengthens your heart, and helps you feel happier. Even if you can’t be outside all day, open your windows when it is warm enough and let the fresh air fill your house or office.
Rest
There is no substitute for getting enough rest. Each person needs a varying amount of sleep at night. In order to function well and feel able to face the challenges of the day, your body needs to have a consistent amount of sleep to rest and rejuvenate. If you have a baby or toddler who is not sleeping all night long, getting enough rest can feel hopeless. But take time to rest when your child rests. Even if they are not napping anymore, create a quiet time when they have books or quiet toys to play with while you rest for a bit.
Getting enough sleep helps your immune system, helps you maintain a healthy weight, think more clearly and do better at work, get along better with people, and lowers your risk for serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes.
Working on a consistent bedtime and wake time each day helps your body adjust to the needs that you have during the day. Getting enough sleep each night isn’t just something the kids need, it’s something we all need!
RELATED: Bedtime Prayers – Creating a Simple Evening Routine
Trust in God and Spiritual Renewal – Yes, Healthy Moms Need This!
Sleeping isn’t the only kind of rest you need. God created us to need to rest in Him and He created an entire day for us to spend with Him each week. Just as sleep does wonders for our mental and physical health, spending time with God each week does wonders for our spiritual health. Self-care and faith go hand in hand. If you are missing the faith aspect of your life, you will seek things that aren’t fulfilling.
When creating a morning routine as a Christian mom, you need to start your day with Jesus. Whether you have time for a 30-minute devotional time or a quick prayer, make sure you connect at the beginning of each day.
Just like having more energy after getting enough sleep, you have a better outlook on life, relationships, and problems when you consistently spend time with God, resting in His amazing love and care for you.
As a healthy Christian mom, you want to teach your children about God and help them learn to love and trust Him. But you can only give from what you have. If you’re not spending time with God each day, your bucket of God’s love will be empty and you won’t have it to share with your family.
The best part about trusting God is that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Every day is a new day. You don’t need enough strength for the week or month. Just enough for today because God will supply all of your needs according to His riches! (Philippians 4:19)
When God gave the Children of Israel the 10 commandments, He specifically talked about this time each week – the Sabbath.
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it, you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Ex. 20:11 NIV
God knew how easy it would be for us to get so busy that we forget to take time to spend with Him each week. He knew we would be exhausted moms with too much on our plates. He also knew how very much we would need that time to step away from our work, from our jobs, and rest. This is the only commandment that begins with the word “remember.”
Self-Care Bible Verses to Encourage Exhausted Moms
The Bible is filled with self-care Bible verses. Many of these verses show that Jesus had to take time away when life got too hectic. He was tired, overwhelmed, and emotionally drained. His example shows us that He needed to take time away, sometimes alone and sometimes just with his disciples, so He could rest, spend time in prayer, and allow His body and mind to rest.
From the beginning of the Bible, in the story of creation, God blessed the Sabbath day as a day of rest. A day to come away from work and a time to recharge, learn more about Him, and spend time enjoying God’s creation. Again, the Sabbath is mentioned in the 10 commandments, not as a command but as a reminder to remember. God knew that we would get so busy in life that one day easily blends into another. He knows that even today, it is difficult to remember to set our work aside and rest on the Sabbath each week.
God cares about your mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical health. Yes, self-care can sometimes be seen as selfish care or being selfish, but when you look at Jesus’ example and in the self-care Bible verses below, you can see that it is important to take care of your needs first so that you can then take care of the needs of others around you.
- Exodus 20:8-11 – “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
- Exodus 18:18-19 – You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.
- Luke 10:40-42 – But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
- Matthew 14:23 – After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone.
- Mark 1:35 – Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
- Mark 6:46 – After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
- Mark 4:35-39 – That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
- Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Leaving the Exhausted Mom Behind and Living a Life of Joy and Peace
Each of these 8 principles of health will help you shift from being an exhausted mom to living a life of joy and happiness as you take care of yourself. It isn’t selfish to want to be a healthy mom. When you look at the responsibilities that you have as a mother, a sister, wife, friend, co-worker, and the list goes on, in order to be the best you can be in each of those roles is to have your own focus be one where you are taking care of yourself.
By getting enough rest, good nutrition, fresh air, exercise, and water, you will feel invigorated and energetic. By spending time with God each day and each week, you will be blessed as you serve others. By filling up the needs you have each day, you will be able to fill up the lives and hearts of your children.
This beautiful printable ebook is packed with actionable steps, worksheets to put your thoughts down on as you reduce your stress, and trackers to help you keep track of your progress towards a less exhausted mom.
You may also like these posts…
- Praying Moms – Using Scripture to Pray for Others
- Remain in Me – Lessons from John 15
- Joshua 1:9 Prayers for Courage
- Creating a Self-Care Life
- Praying Circles Around the Lives of Your Children
- 31 Bible Promises to Pray for Your Children
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