3 Ways To Honor Yourself Daily As A Parent
When you hear the phrase “honor yourself” what comes to mind? Very rarely in parenthood do we stop to take time to practice this, so you might feel it difficult to come up with an answer to that question.
In my practice, honoring yourself means taking a pause during your day to check-in, and to go inward. To see what emotions, thoughts, and feelings are showing up for you. To see how busy your mind and heart centers are. Notice the pace of your breath.
While this is something we practice at the begging of each prenatal and postpartum yoga class, this is something that you can do outside of the studio and in your own time. The best part? It doesn’t take long. I’m not suggesting you find an hour to yourself every day to meditate or sit in silence - because often that’s not realistic during pregnancy and postpartum.
Here are a few ways you can honor yourself with yogic philosophies in mind
Before you get out of bed, take 10 deep breaths.
This will help you start to connect with your innermost Self, the person you are deep inside of you. Taking deep breaths will also send oxygen to all of your internal systems, waking them up, and will leave your mind feeling more focused. Best part? This only takes a few minutes, but the effects will last all day.
Taking deep breaths to start the day will calm your parasympathetic nervous system - the fight or flight part of our being. Instead of getting out of bed feeling defensive and expecting the worse, you’ll get out of bed with an open mind. So whether you’re waking up to go to the bathroom for the 7th time at 3:00 AM or waking up to a fussy baby at 5:00 AM, you are entering your day with positivity and peace.
Listen to your body's cues.
We start our days with a to-do list in mind. Sometimes, life gets in the way making it hard to accomplish everything on that list. If you check in with yourself during the day and listen to your body's cues:
I don't need to run 6 miles today, 2 will be enough.
Wow, I could use 15 minutes to rest when my baby goes down for their mid-day nap.
I don't have the energy to complete this project today.
Listening to your body's signals will help make sure you don't overdo it and will end up helping you feel better in the end. The pressure parents put on themselves is felt by every parent out there. Sometimes, guilt attaches itself to that pressure. But if we are preaching to our kids to balance rest and play, why aren’t we practicing that ourselves? The best way to teach your kids how to find balance in their lives is to practice that balance yourself.
End your day with 5 minutes of reflection and/or a restorative pose.
You know how much I love legs up the wall, and this pose at nighttime will help support sleep, improve digestion, and bring fresh oxygen to your brain. If you practice this while reflecting on your day, you'll receive even more benefits. Take a few minutes to honor all that you accomplished, how you felt, and what worked well for you that day. You do so much every day as a mama and it's important to honor that.
Remember no celebration or accomplishment is too small. It can be as simple as…
I emptied the dishwasher today.
I set boundaries and stuck to them.
I nourished myself and my growing baby today.
See, it’s not asking too much of yourself. At the maximum, any of these practices will only take 5 minutes to practice. If you can take 5 minutes to scroll through your phone daily, you can take 5 minutes to honor yourself day.
Here are a few tips to help you turn this practice into a habit:
Set a reminder on your phone to take 10 deep breaths. If there’s a time of day that is typically most stressful for you, set your reminder for 2 minutes before that.
After putting your baby to bed for the night, stand outside of their bedroom door and take a moment to notice your body’s cues. Do you need to rest for the night yourself? Or do you have the mental and physical energy to run a load of laundry? Respond accordingly.
Keep a cozy blanket or pillow in your bedroom that is dedicated to your self-reflection practice. Set it up along the wall or get into a cozy position on the floor or bed. Bonus: Spray some lavender oil on this prop to further attach your senses to your practice.
It takes 18 days to create a habit. Commit to yourself for 18 days and you will notice a difference in your heart, body, and soul. You are so deserving of this, mama.
