Summer Self-Care for Single Moms

SUMMER SELF-CARE FOR SINGLE MOMS

Hey, awesome mom!

We know you may not feel awesome right now, but rest assured—YOU ARE!

We want to remind you that you are an incredible woman who is worthy of goodness, kindness, joy, and love.

As we considered the summer months and what single moms are facing, we thought about how hard self-care is for ALL moms, in every season. With your children home from school for a few months though, it can be even more challenging for single moms to make time to care for themselves.

If you want to put your best self forward, it’s going to require intentional choices (especially as a busy, single mom). But you CAN feel healthy, look great, and live a joy-filled life, all while juggling life’s crazy, hectic demands.

Julie Burton, a self-care author, entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed wellness warrior encourage moms that what seems impossible can be possible.

The moment you become a mother and commit to caring for your child, [you need to] set an intention for yourself: I will honor and respect myself by regularly taking care of my needs. This will make me happier and better able to care for my family,” Burton says. “As moms, we have an enormous opportunity to set a great example for our children of how to be kind to ourselves, and in turn, how to be kind to others. As the saying goes, we can’t pour from an empty cup.

Is your cup empty today, Mama?

It may be time to set an intention for yourself. Make self-care a summer goal.

Stop Spinning in Circles

How can you possibly make self-care a goal? After all, you’re already feeling stretched so thin. It may be time to consider what gets the most focus in your life. Where are you currently spending your time, money, and attention?

In our Shepherd’s Village University class #GOALS, we talk about how it can feel when we aren’t being intentional about what we want and need.

James Clear at Habits Academy offers an excellent metaphor:

Imagine a small rowboat. Your goals are like the rudder on the boat. [Goals] set the direction and determine where you go. If you commit to one goal, then the rudder stays put and you continue moving forward. If you flip-flop between goals, then the rudder moves all around and it is easy to find yourself rowing in circles. However, there is another part of the boat that is even more important than the rudder: The oars. If the rudder is your goal, then the oars are your process for achieving it. While the rudder determines your direction, it is the oars that determine your progress.

You don’t have to be in the Coast Guard to realize, this is a perfect picture for how many single moms feel. We’re just spinning in circles. Round and round and round–going nowhere fast. Either that, or we’ve turned off the engine and we’re just going wherever the current takes us.

You can stop the crazy, out-of-control cycle. Clear says identify that ONE THING that will make other things in our lives fall into a better place.

Mom, we’re asking you to consider making self-care your ONE THING this summer.

Set the goal and then begin the process.

For example, if you’re a runner, your GOAL may be to run a marathon. If that is the case, your PROCESS is the training schedule you will need to set for the month.

To take a closer look at Goals vs. Processes, enroll today in the free online courses offered through Shepherd’s Village University.

Self-Assessment Time

Before you dive into a few of our ideas for self-care, take a minute to first do some self-reflecting. If you have a journal, it would be a worthwhile exercise to answer this question for yourself.

In what ways can I honor and respect myself more?  

Got your answers?  Then let’s consider a few ideas to get you refueled.

Because when Mama is happy, everyone is happy!