Mothers today are raising children under circumstances never experienced before in history.
In a very short time frame – the past two decades – daily life has undergone significant and profound changes, most notably an increase in time pressure, a constant connection to technology, and a reliance on packaged and processed food products, all of which negatively impact on our health and wellbeing.
For mums who are the centre of family life – looking after the kids, partnerships, households and even the family pets – these changes have added a potent mix of pressures that weren’t there before.
It’s a whole new ball game that often sees mums on a treadmill that never seems to slow down because we’re time poor and overloaded. We rush from commitment to commitment barely catching a breath in-between, and while we’re constantly connected to the online world through smartphones, tablets and computers, we can be increasingly disconnected from our own inner compass and personal needs.
We’re all trying to do our best, but many of us fail to do the best by ourselves. We leave our needs and wants at the bottom of the ‘to do’ list and we just never get to them, thinking that sacrificing self-care so that we can put others first makes us a ‘good’ mother.
But it’s more important than ever mothers make their own health and wellbeing a priority, not only for their own sake but for their children’s as well.
A tired, worn out or frustrated mother is of little good to her kids or anyone else, and she’ll find it near impossible to carry the daily load, let alone do it well.
But a mother who is full of energy and vitality, who feels fulfilled, vibrant and joyful, can not only meet the demands of motherhood but she is the best role model for health and happiness her children can have.
Fitting in self-care and ‘me time’ to an already crowded schedule may mean you have to say no to something else, and that doesn’t make you selfish, or a bad mother. It may take a little time to work out, but even one change in the right direction can have significant positive impacts on your life and that of your family.
- Rachael Jansen is a journalist and holistic health coach, supporting mothers to nourish their mind, body and spirit so that they can pass their health and happiness on to their children. Her first wellness event for mothers, ‘Sense of Self: Rediscovering the me in mother’, featuring four speakers, food demonstration, a gourmet lunch and gift bags and prizes, is on Saturday October 26 on the Gold Coast. For more details, go to www.rachaeljansen.com.au
