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Ladies this is message to you, but the truth is it is first a message to myself because it is what I need to hear most right now.

You know how they tell you on a plane to put your own oxygen mask on first before you help anyone else. It seems so counterintuitive.

As women we are raised to think of others before ourselves. But if we don’t follow those very important instructions in an airplane emergency, we may endanger ourselves and our children.

I find the same true in day to day life. If we don’t take time to take care of ourselves, it impacts our whole world and may endanger our relationships and our own health.

My Breaking Point

In the last 3 years I have had two babies and launched a new business. That was on top of raising a teenager, running another business with my husband, running a home and being a wife. To say the least it has been a busy time.

Recently, I hit a breaking point. I had baby Jett almost 9 months ago and feel like my home, my health and even my relationship with my husband has gotten out of control. I started thinking about changes I could make and who I could use as a guide.

Guess what – the role model was right there in front of me. My awesome Mom, Roseanne Cook.

I realized my Mom had unknowingly passed on lessons on how I could “put my oxygen mask on first”, without ever speaking a word about it. She passed on this wisdom by how she lived, what she made a priority and what she did not.

7 Important Lessons from My Mom

How to Take Care of You So You Can Take Care of Others

1. Take Care of Your Body

My Mom has always taken care of her body by working out and eating healthy food. She has a slight leg up in this in that she was a combination English/PE major in college and was teaching middle school PE when she had me and later was an adaptive PE teacher (which means she is skilled in adapting activities to kids with down syndrome, autism and other special needs).

When I was growing up in the 70’s, there weren’t a bunch of gyms and yoga studios around, but my Mom would work out at the YMCA or speed-walk around the neighborhood. In the 80’s she got into Jazzersize and the last 10 years she has been doing a lot of low impact workouts like water aerobics and yoga.

What I realized is that my Mom makes working out a priority in her week. Even when we had a crazy busy schedule of after school activities, she would often walk the track at the school where my brother and I had swim practice.

2. Maintain Your Friendships

Earlier this year I had a tear fest crying to my husband about feeling really lonely. I have a lot of friends “online” who I interact with every day, but have struggled to find time to meet a local girlfriend for lunch or coffee. The root of this is feeling that I need to use the time I have my nanny here to work (not workout or see a friend).

My Mom is huge on connecting in person with people and throughout my life I have observed her cultivating and making time for her friends. She used to have regular lunch date with her BFF Kay or they would just pop by each others houses for a cup of coffee and a chat.

She also would go shopping and out to lunch once in a while with her friend Mary.

My parents were part of a Bunco group that met once a month at each other’s homes. If you don’t know what bunco is you can google it.  But basically it is a dice game and they would share a meal each time and have prizes. I remember it being fun when it was hosted at our house because I got to hang out with my parent’s friends while they snacked on yummy appetizers and desserts, then see my parents having fun with their friends as I headed off to bed (make no mistake I often got snuck of bed to see more of the fun…at least until I got caught).

3. Date Your Husband

One of the things I appreciate most about my parents marriage which is closing on 45 years strong is that I know my Mom and Dad are still in love. They truly enjoy each others company and have maintained a passionate relationship through the ups and downs of life.

My parents always dated each other. One of my favorite memories is of my parents getting dressed up in the 70’s in their disco outfits and going out dancing. It is still fun to see my parents moves on the dance floor.

They showed me that their marital relationship is a priority. As a Mom myself now, I know all the work that goes into planning a date. My mom had to arrange a sitter, figure out our dinner and possibly plan the date too (since this seems more like her skill set than my dad’s).

4. Hire Help

I’m so thankful my Mom showed me it is OK to hire help. I spent my formative years in a very blue collar town and doubt that anyone else in our neighborhood had a housekeeper. When I was in elementary school, my Mom worked full time and my Dad worked full-time plus he was starting his own civil engineering business on the side. When I interviewed my Mom about how she has maintained a Productive Home, my mom shares that she decided “I was worthy to have help with my home.”

This also included help fixing things too. My Dad is super handy and can fix almost anything, but if he is too busy my Mom will hire those projects out.

5. Pamper Yourself (hair cut/color, nails, now massages)

My Mom showed me it was OK to take spend money on pampering myself.

She had those acrylic nails in the 80’s and 90’s and of course she rocked an awesome perm.

So, I saw my Mom making herself a priority and often accompanied her to get her nails or hair done.

6. Have Hobbies

I saw throughout my life that my Mom had other interests besides work and being a Mom. She usually was involved in some type of art activity. For years it was toll painting.

In the last 10+ years, she has gotten really into gardening. First it was growing roses, which is perfect since her name is Roseanne. But now, she and my Dad are really focused on growing their own food.

My Mom also has spent a lot of time volunteering with organization that benefit children with special needs like the Special Olympics or Autism Camps. In addition, she serves at her church in a variety of ways.

7. Take Time to Look Nice

My Mom always looks put together. It’s not like she waltzes around the house dressed like June Cleaver.

She just sets some time aside each morning to take a shower, get dressed and throw some make-up on.

Granted she doesn’t have little kids to deal with, but she did this even when we were little. In fact, my Dad leaves the house every day around 5AM to go work out and then get to work early, so my Mom figured out how to shower safely with two little ones.  She would lock us all in the bathroom while she took a shower. I remember trying so hard to break out of there while she showered with the door half open so she could check on our mischief.

I also remember watching my Mom sit in front of her vanity mirror and put on her make-up.

I often find myself halfway through the day still unshowered and in yoga pants.  Ok, let’s be real, it sometimes is the end of the day and I am smelly and in yoga pants and never worked out.

Also, when we are going somewhere as a family, I spend time getting everyone else ready, packing the diaper bag and snacks that I’m left with little or no time for myself, so I end up with my hair in a ponytail and trying to put on mascara in the car which doesn’t always end well.

So thanks Mom for teaching me these 7 ways to take care of myself. I’m prepared to put my oxygen mask on first now.

How do you put yourself first and what other tips did your Mom or other mentors teach you? Share in the comments below or Tweet Me!

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