New Year’s Resolutions for Moms: Putting Your Health First
As a mom, you are likely putting everyone else’s needs before your own. You get wrapped up in appointments, being the taxi driver to and from activities, stocking the house with snacks, and so on. Your needs get put to the wayside in sacrifice for your family. It is common for many moms to experience. Instead of just trudging on, consider New Year’s resolutions for moms to help you get back to the top of the priority list.
Moms give and give. This is because of the natural instinct you have to want to be all and do all for your children. It is how children become positive members of society when they come from a home where their needs are met. However, it is also important to have a mom who practices self-care as well.
It’s time to improve your mental health this year by creating New Year’s resolutions that are meant to help you. Your time for putting yourself at the bottom of the list doesn’t have permission to follow you into the new year. Find the right New Year’s resolutions for moms below to jump start a better mental health journey.
What are New Year’s Resolutions?
New Year’s resolutions are personal goals people make for themselves. People feel like a new year is a way for them to start new and fresh with their life. Whether that be weight loss, quitting an old habit, or making your health a priority.
Each year that comes and goes means you have a chance to change things for the next year. If you want to make changes in the new year, it’s time for you to put your needs at the top again. For your mental health and for your family, new goals can help you get on track to feeling great as a mom who also gets time for herself.
5 New Year’s Resolutions for Moms
Some ideas for New Year’s resolutions for moms are listed below. Find one or more that you can incorporate into your life and improve your maternal mental health.
See a Therapist
One of the top recommendations for New Year’s resolutions is to start seeing a therapist. Everyone needs a therapist at some point in their life. A therapist can help you break through barriers that could be holding you back or that could be influencing the way that you parent your children. Therapists can also bring to light things you may not have known were impacting your life.
In the new year, find a therapist who can help you begin to put yourself first. I am a therapist who specializes in maternal mental health. Many of the patients I see come to me for anxiety, depression, grief, and postpartum mental health concerns. If you are ready to take back control of your mental health and stop letting it negatively impact your life choices, schedule a free consultation with me to get on track to a better mental health journey.
Set Boundaries
Boundaries are important for your mental health. If you continue to do everything that is asked of you without a break, your mental health will suffer. You have to set boundaries for yourself in order to flourish.
Setting boundaries can look different for everyone. For example, you could set boundaries on what days of the week you will shuffle kids to and from activities or what nights of the week you will order out instead of cooking. Take time to consider what parts of your routine would be beneficial for you to create boundaries to help with your mental health.
Rest and Relax
Stop filling your calendar with endless activities. Actually pencil in some rest and relaxation days. Your rest and relaxation time is extremely important to your mental health and your physical health.
The more time you give your body to rest, the better you will start to feel. Don’t let shame and guilt of resting stop you from taking those much needed rest days. Rest is just as productive as everything else you do.
Unplug
One of the easiest ways moms get sucked into doing a million things is by comparing themselves to other moms on social media. New Year’s resolutions for moms that will benefit mental health include unplugging from your phone.
Not only will this help you stop comparing and brow beating yourself, being on your phone constantly is draining. Too much cell phone use increases your chances of sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, and more.
Take Time for You
You’ve heard over and over about how important self-care is. But you truly need to take time for yourself. Even if you only have five minutes each day, dedicate it to something that will help such as drinking a glass of water, making an entry in your journal, meditating, etc.
Make sure you are also taking time to go out and do what makes you happy. Whether that is meeting friends for dinner, getting a massage, or going to a movie alone. The reset you get from being able to enjoy something for yourself is something worth doing.
New Year’s Resolutions for Moms: Work On Your Mental Health this Year
So many patients I hear from explain how they feel like they are losing themselves in motherhood. Between all of the duties you have on your plate, it’s enough to forget what things you like to do for yourself. It’s also enough to hinder your mental health if you are not careful.
Restore your mental health now by selecting one or more of the New Year’s resolutions for moms from the list above. As a licensed therapist, it would be an honor to work with you to help you get back to being the mother you want to be and learning who you are since having children. Your mental health is important, but only you can make it a priority. If you are ready to do that, click here to schedule your free consultation with me.