Copyright 2005 Peggy PorterFor many women, term self-care often becomes a foreign concept once motherhood occurs. Why?
I believe there are several key reasons why mothers find it difficult to take better care of themselves:
Time - One of major barriers to self-care is feeling that there’s just not enough time. Going from leisurely lunches with friends (before days of motherhood), to sleepless nights, packed lunches and car pooling, is a huge adjustment. Often we are left feeling stretched for time.
Multiple Role Players - In today’s society, moms play multiple roles - everything from career professional, soccer mom and committee volunteer, to chauffeur and housekeeper. How can we find time for ourselves while juggling all these roles?
Guilt – Feelings of guilt play a huge part in why mothers spend little time taking care of themselves. Guilt can be associated with being away from our family due to work commitments, taking an hour to ourselves when there already seems to be so much to do, or by just trying to do something that is important to us and does not involve family.
As moms, we believe that by being away from our kids, or not involving them in virtually everything we do, we are somehow not living up to our duties and responsibilities.
Perfectionism - The need for perfection in our lives is another barrier to self-care. Perfectionists are always seeking that ultimate feeling of having everything under their control, often not doing (or enjoying) anything unless it can be done perfectly.