The Challenge: 21 Days of Setting Aside Time For Me

All the experts say moms should set aside time for themselves. Meanwhile, we moms - juggling three meals and two snacks a day, plus carpools, sports practices, library books, laundry, homework, housework and maybe even paying work occasionally - roll our eyes and check our schedules on our phones.

But last week it wasn’t only those nebulous “experts” who were after me. Both my dentist and my hair stylist noticed my lack of self-care showing up in their domains. It’s one thing to be scolded by a TV talking head and another to try to defend your crazy life to a person wielding sharp objects at very close range.

And they weren’t the only ones. Recently a professional contact invited me to take part in a 21-day self-care challenge starting today, Oct. 6. I was on the fence until Saturday, when the haircut sealed the deal.

The maternal mental health experts behind the challenge, Dr. Ann Dunnewold and Dr. Diane Sanford, promise it will only take about 15 minutes a day to implement their tips. And because establishing a new habit takes about 21 days, their bet is that some of this self-care will stick. Their effort is timed to coincide with Mental Health Week, Oct. 4 to 10.

Living the Self-Care Challenge Tip #1 for Oct. 6: two minutes of breathing and with a self-care metaphor in mind, plus a day’s worth of practicing the mantra “It’s not selfish, it’s self-preservation.” Here we go …

You can read more about Living the Self-Care Challenge here and find out more about Dunnewold and Sanford, including info on their book Life Will Never Be the Same: The Real Mom’s Postpartum Survival Guide here.

By Amy De La Hunt, Health Blogger for SmartParenting