It took me a very long time to prioritize self-care in my life. Like most moms, we tend to put our kids, husband, home, first; and we put ourselves last. There is that mom guilt that is always lurking whenever we want to do something for ourselves causing us to believe that self-care is selfish and that we need to care only for our family. I know I felt that way for many years. Never doing anything for myself, whether it be buying new clothes, going to the gym, making myself healthy meals, even pampering myself with a facial or getting my hair done. All of my time and energy was dedicated to my family, which I was happy to do because I love my family; I thought of it as the sacrifice of a mother. However, as a result of being so focused on others, I lost a part of myself; that important part of being a woman, not ONLY a mom. I lost the parts of me with the passion for fitness, nutrition, and fashion. The part of me that enjoyed getting dressed up and going out on the town with my husband, feeling confident in stilettos and skinny jeans. I thought becoming frumpy was just part of being a mom and aging. No, I was wrong.

Once I decided that I was worthy of investing in my health and wellness, and deserving of practicing self-care and self-love; my mindset changed, my habits and routines changed, my life changed. Being a mom and getting older doesn’t mean I have to lose any parts of myself. Practicing self-care allows me to continuously evolve and flourish into the best version of myself. Every year I grow stronger in body and mind. I fill my cup with all the things that make my heart and soul happy. In turn, my family is happier for it, and I am an example for my kids of how important it is to care for their body, mind, and spirit. Was it easy, absolutely not, were there days that challenged me, heck yes, but every hardship, every heartache, every tear, was also met with progress, achievements, and wins. It was worth it all.

If you are struggling with prioritizing yourself, let me tell you what took me so long to learn. Taking care of yourself isn’t self-indulgence, it is self-preservation. It doesn’t mean “me first” it means “me too”. Taking care of yourself is the most powerful way to begin to take care of others. It is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you. We owe ourselves the love that we freely and so generously give to others. When you practice self-care you are showing compassion to yourself. It’s a way of telling yourself that you are valuable and worthy of care, love and respect. It is time that you make yourself a priority. It is time that you give yourself the love and care that you deserve.

I want every woman to find herself, to blossom and grow, to become the best version of themselves and enter any stage of their life feeling like the confident, strong, badass woman that she is! Take the time to put yourself first. Fill your cup, because you can’t pour from an empty one.