May is here and it is Mental Health Awareness month!
Being busy moms, we tend to push our physical and mental health needs to the side when it comes to our family. The shortage of available appointments to see a psychological provider doesn’t help either. To this day, most insurance companies don’t cover therapy sessions, which can be financially hard on some families. Time is also a factor. As a mom of a 5yr, 4yr, 3yr, I have to get to school by 7:30am for my oldest and be at preschool by 9am for the younger two. During the weekend, I work as a NICU nurse, so finding time for myself is hard. While my younger children are in preschool, I have 3 hours to myself. I usually use that time to work on my physical and mental health. Here is a list of inexpensive ways to improve your health.
1. Exercise
Growing up, exercising was never really my favorite thing to do. When I was having my babies back-to-back, I never really had time to exercise to get rid of the baby weight. Once the pandemic hit and the family was home more often, I found ways to exercise with the children. We would go on more walks, jump rope in the backyard, and lift weights in the garage. My kids loved doing Just Dance on the television. As time went on and I got lazy about working out, I started to notice that when I didn’t work out I didn’t feel my best. I would stress a lot more, maybe be short-tempered with the kids, and eat junk food.
I would shut off from friends and family from time to time. My husband noticed it too, so he started encouraging me to go on walks, playing tennis again, and dancing. Now it doesn’t happen every day and usually not even 5 days a week like my doctor recommends, but I do try to get my body moving at least 3 times a week. Now when I’m feeling down or stressed, I work out. Whether it be a 20-min HIIT workout, jumping rope for 30 mins in the back yard while the kids play, or going on a walk to the park, getting out and moving improves your mental health.
2. Sunlight
Do you ever feel tired or in a bad mood when it’s raining outside and the sun is nowhere to be found? Studies have shown that we tend to get more done and be happier when the sun is shining. In the winter, seasonal depression is at its highest. The days seem shorter because the sun sets earlier. During the week when I am home, I like to open the blinds to allow the sun to shine as soon as I wake up.
This makes me feel more open, less stressed and wanting to get more things done….like clean the house haha. We receive Vitamin D directly from the sun. Deficiency in Vitamin D can lead to depression, muscle weakness and loss of appetite. So open the blinds, go for a walk with the kids, or just sit on the porch and soak up the sun… its FREE!
3. Good Sleep routine
Now I know you want to say… “Mujaa, what sleep?” As a mom, I have been there waking up every 3 hours, and it gets better. Ideally you should get 6-8 hours of sleep. During those newborn months, getting sleep is slim to none, but my husband and I had a way maximizing getting sleep between the both of us. Usually if the kids are sick or having a rough night and are waking up in the middle of the night we take turns day to day. If Joe has to work in the morning, I will get up with the kids so he can get more sleep and be less tired and irritable at work.
The next night when they wake up, my husband will get up with the kids and I get some rest. We switch off and on like that so we don’t build up the stress and anxiety that may come from little to no sleep. Other ways to have a good sleep routine is to avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed, limit daytime napping, and not watching television in the bed before bedtime. More sleep for means more patience with the kids and energy to workout, which clears my mind.
4. Journaling
Ever since I was a kid, I loved writing. I would write about my day, how I felt, and even screenplays for my brothers and sisters to act out. Taking 15 mins out of the day has shown to improve your mental health and it is inexpensive. Journaling helps you process your emotions and learn more about yourself. As moms, we take on so much and we may get into a routine or just go through the motions, but it is important to sit down write how your day went.
Write about what made you happy or upset and how you can change that. Recognizing our feelings can allow us to cope better with everyday decisions. Writing things out may also show a pattern that you see in your kid’s behavior or other things happening around you. I usually do my journaling at night after the kids go to bed. It’s not every night but at least 3 times a week.
5. Hydrating
COFFEE DOESN’T COUNT!!!! Staying hydrated is a simple way to improve your mental health. One should drink about 64 ounces of water a day. Anything with caffeine should not be included in that, because caffeine actually dehydrates you. I tend to drink a gallon of water a day. Now you don’t have to do that much but I do it to lose weight. Since I was a child, I loved water. I always had my own water jug and didn’t care for soda or juice too much. Today my bad habit is collecting water bottles.
My husband sighs (haha) when he sees I have another one, but for me it is easier to drink water out of different water bottles for different occasions. It took me a while to get to drinking a gallon of water a day. Some weeks I fall off and don’t quite feel myself when I’m not hydrated. I may become snappy with the kids and sluggish in the chores I need to get done around the house. Drinking water helps me get back to that homeostasis. Staying hydrated can allow you to feel energized which can lead to you exercising more!
