Self Care for the Homemaker

 “You cannot pour anything out of an empty cup. We have a tendency to give everything we have away, and then feel guilty because we can’t do more.”  - Patti McBride Williams, LPC, LMFT

Do you ever feel that empty inside? Then maybe it’s time to replenish your cup and take a bit of time to fill it with refreshment for your body, mind, and soul. 

As a homemaker, our lives can become fairly busy. We balance caring for our home, nurturing our families, helping our neighbors, and joining in with our community. There are times when our schedules are so full, we tend to neglect one of the most important people on our list. And that person is YOU!

We don’t often stop to think about the importance of caring for ourselves. As the primary caretaker for our homes, families and faith, homemakers mark these things as priorities. In reality they definitely are, but the problem comes when we neglect to add ourselves to that short list. 

Taking care of ourselves is just as crucial as taking care of the other priorities in our life. Without self-care, we run the risk of becoming drained physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Listen in to learn more ways to take care of yourself – even when your life gets busy!

Transcript

As homemakers, our lives can become fairly busy. We balance caring for our home, nurturing our families, helping our neighbors, and joining in with our community. There are times when our schedules are so full, we tend to neglect one of the most important people on our list. And that person is YOU!

We don’t often stop to think about the importance of caring for ourselves. As the primary caretaker for our homes, families and faith, homemakers mark these things as priorities. In reality they definitely are, but the problem comes when we neglect to add ourselves to that short list. 

Taking care of ourselves is just as crucial as taking care of the other priorities in our life. Without self-care, we run the risk of becoming drained physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. If we aren’t careful, we become overwhelmed, and end up succumbing to exhaustion - which can in turn result in more serious illnesses.

Dictionary.com in part defines Overwhelm as: “to load, heap, treat, or address with an overpowering or excessive amount of anything”. Without managing it, overwhelm can quickly turn into stress and worry. All three of these can result in negative affectations of your thought process, emotions, physical and mental health – and if too severe, antagonistic behavior. 

It can also lead to serious physical problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, significant weight gain/loss, and other issues.

The act of self-care for the homemaker is finding things that can nurture every part of your body – from the physical to the ‘invisible’ aspects of mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. By engaging in these activities, you will better be able to relieve stress, clear your mind, relax your body, and strengthen your focus. 

No matter how hard we try to avoid it, for many of us how we are perceived by others is a concern. The last thing we want to do is to appear selfish and self-centered. These two negative personality traits are the biggest reasons we fail to take better care of ourselves. 

But provided it isn’t the only focus, self-care isn’t a matter of being selfish or self-centered. Instead, it is literally taking time to care for your personal well-being. Think of it as a doctor’s appointment. Even if all you are doing is going in for a yearly checkup, no one thinks you are being selfish. Instead, they think you are making a smart decision. 

For 30 minutes to an hour a day, a few hours over the course of a week, or even for a full day once or twice a month, it is time to make it all about ‘Me’. How and when you schedule Me time, and what activity you engage in, is totally up to you. The important thing is to literally schedule it on your calendar and DO it.

And when you do, get excited about it! Do you remember when you were anticipating going someplace or doing something special? There is a good chance you got excited about it. You spent time choosing the right thing to wear, took extra time and care getting ready, and had a spring in your step and a smile that reached from your face down to your very soul. 

This is how you should look at your self-care time. Get excited. Make it fun. Even if all you have time for is 30 minutes having Afternoon Tea, make a simple production out of it. 

Pour yourself a cup of your favorite hot beverage, or a tall glass of iced-cold lemonade or sweet tea. Set out a plate of your favorite snacks – from fresh vegetables and fruit to cookies or a lemon bar or two. Then settle in, relax, and enjoy your time!

To make self-care work for you, you must first learn to prioritize. The first step is knowing that you have everything you possibly can under control. First and foremost, identify your priorities, such as home, family and faith. 

The next step is to get and stay organized. This can be as simple as maintaining a cleaning schedule and keeping your finances in order. It’s also helpful to keep and maintain a schedule for daily and future activities. 

From there, you need to make time for you. There are many ways you can foster self-care - from a physical standpoint, such as staying hydrated, having a set bedtime, and learning to say ‘no’, to doing something you enjoy, such as indulging in a hobby, cultural pursuits, or spending time with friends. 

Regardless of how you choose to do it, you need to take self-care seriously. Patti McBride Williams is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and she often says this to her clients: 

“You cannot pour anything out of an empty cup. We have a tendency to give everything we have away, and then feel guilty because we can’t do more.” 

Do you ever feel that empty inside? Then maybe it’s time to replenish your cup and take a bit of time to fill it with refreshment for your body, mind, and soul. 

Get organized. Schedule daily quiet time. Visit with a friend. Pamper yourself. Discover and follow your passions. Learn to dream. Find ways to take care of yourself, so you can offer more to those people, things, and activities that need your time, attention, and focus.

It may just be the difference between living a happy, healthy, simple life and dreading each day that comes.

To learn more about living a Simple Life, just visit my website at www.thefarmwife.com. 

If you have questions or just want to stop in for a visit, you can do that through email at thevirtualporch@gmail.com. And be sure to subscribe – you don’t want to miss a single conversation. I'll be sitting on the porch every Monday morning waiting for your visit!

Thanks again for stopping in. I will see you next week on Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. And while you are waiting on the next episode, grab that glass of refreshment, pull up a rocker, and sit back for a while. It’s time to relax and enjoy.