As loved ones carefully consider what card to pick, flowers to choose, and other goodies to gift that wonderfully hard working mom, what are us moms gifting ourselves this year? I love to see the crafts my kids create for me and the thoughtful outing my husband took months to plan. But most of all this year I want to encourage all mothers out there to give back to themselves. As a parent, I know how thinking and doing for others is many times our number one priority. But we need to do a self-check. Are we the best possible version of ourselves? If you can’t honestly and wholeheartedly answer yes, then let this month be the start of something new. May is for Moms.

One of the best gifts you can give yourself is the gift of a healthy life. Forget trying to live up to the lifestyle reflected by Hollywood. I’m talking about you and me in the real world. Let’s eat better, be more active, and get some rest. I’m almost 100% should I have posted I similar article to this one, yet I still have to remind myself of these simple truths. And as simple as they may seem on the surface, they do require us to change our thinking and behavior.

Eating Right. We all grew up learning about our food group, but many of us still have eating habits of children. We either eat the same foods regularly limited the vitamins we intake or we ‘snack’ without any real thought as to what we put in our bodies. In no way am I saying we need to cut out our guilty pleasures, but what if we cut back. Increase foods rich in essential vitamins, and decrease fatty, over salted, and sugar treats.

Get Active. That can mean many things depending on who you’re talking to. From a casual morning walk to hitting every machine at your local gym, and anything in between. My first suggestion is to choose activities you think you’ll enjoy. Far too often we see posts of smiling fit individuals swearing by a particular exercise. But then when we try to incorporate it into our routine it just doesn’t work, or we’re miserable. So if you’re outgoing join a group, independent hit the gym, looking for a change in scenery then get outdoors. Just find what method works for you regardless if it’s trending now.

Rest. Yes, we all sleep at some point, but far too many of us keep inconsistent hours. We cheat ourselves of the kind of rest that will recharge us, so we are consistently running on empty. I find personal that this is related to a priority problem. I am so overjoyed when the calm, quiet falls over my house that many times that I miss the sweet opportunity to enjoy a peaceful nights sleep. Watching show after show is my rest theft. We have to limit or perhaps even eliminate these behaviors. A lack of sleep will not only age our appearance, but it can also be dangerous. So get your head out of that fog and onto a pillow instead.

None of us are perfect, and that shouldn’t be our goal. Let’s just make a promise to ourselves to take steps towards being healthier and in turn happier visions of ourselves.

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