Back to School, Back to You? How Moms Can Prioritize Self Care

When the kids go back to school, it seems like the perfect time to refocus on YOU. But let’s be honest – along with back to school comes an extra busy season of fall sports, extracurricular activities, homework, and birthday parties, and before you know it, your YOU time has been hijacked once again! It’s no secret that us moms often get the short end of the stick when it comes to self-care and taking time for ourselves. So how can we make sure to prioritize ourselves and our wellness goals this fall?

Minimize Stress with Intentional Action

Stress is the root cause of so many illnesses and issues we face. Managing stress can feel like an uphill battle in our busy world, but even small changes can add up to big differences in our lives. When we can take intentional steps towards managing our stress, we can be in a better mindset to prioritize our self-care and wellness goals.

A few simple ways we can manage stress in our daily lives include:

• Making rest a priority each day, not just on the weekends. Make sure to go to bed at a time that allows you to get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Staying up late to binge watch TV when the kids go to bed may seem like “you time” in the moment, but it’s adding compounded stress on your body by compromising your rest. 
• Hydrate effectively and limit your caffeine intake. We are all a little dehydrated if we’re being honest! We should aim to get half of our weight in ounces of water per day, and even so, it may not be enough! Truth is, water alone is not enough to re-hydrate us, as dehydration also depletes us of vital vitamins and minerals. IV Hydration is a great solution we offer, or you can add an electrolyte-enhanced drink as needed, keeping an eye out for unnecessary sugars. 
• Turn off your tech and set social media boundaries. Blue light from TVs, cell phones, and computers has been shown to negatively impact sleep, eye health, and even mental health, and we have all been guilty of the social media “doom scroll.” Setting boundaries to set aside your tech devices and turn away from social media, especially right before bed and first thing in the morning, can not only improve your sleep but also reduce stress and boost your mood.  
• De-clutter a common space in your home. Clutter can often be a stressor in our lives that goes unnoticed. Studies have shown that a cluttered home or work environment can decrease our focus, and leave us feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Pick a spot you frequent in your home, or an area where you want to be able to relax or focus better like your living room or home office, and get to decluttering. You’ll feel the stress relief right away! 
• Start the day with gratitude, prayer, personal development or quiet intentional time. Mindset is everything, and few things affect us as much as how we start our day. Instead of picking up our phones and scrolling social media and emails, try starting the day screen-free with a book, your Bible, or a journal. Write down a few things you’re grateful for, or set an intention for your day. It’s a game changer for your outlook the rest of the day and how you handle stress! 
• Spend at least 15 minutes a day outside. Sunshine and Vitamin D are crucial for our mental health, so don’t skip out on it! Even if you work from home or at a desk most of the day, make sure to set aside at least a few minutes a day to go outside, get some fresh air and sunlight, play with your kids and get some steps in. 
• Set the tone with peaceful music and aromatic candles or essential oils. Our environment impacts our stress levels, but we can set the tone by including relaxing sensory experiences in our day. Instrumental music, a scented candle, or a soft blanket can help reduce our cortisol levels naturally and put us in a more peaceful state of mind. 

Take Time to Treat Yourself

Once you’ve set some of the stress aside, it’s time to pamper yourself! We have a few options here at Decision Critical that are designed to provide the relaxing, concierge care experience you deserve:

• If you’re ready to take control of your diet and nutrition, a meeting with our Functional Nutritional Specialist will get you back on track to a healthier you. An assessment session will help uncover compromised body systems and underlying root causes of any health issues you’re facing, and you’ll leave armed with a plan of action.
• If you’re thinking about finally scheduling that elective procedure that will help you feel your best, let us help! We work with plastic surgery patients pre- and post-op to make the entire process seamless and stress free. After a surgery, our concierge nurses can come to you at your home or hotel room to help you heal and take the caretaking stress off your loved ones. Read more about the post-operative care services we offer and book a discovery call to learn more!
• If you’re just tired of feeling exhausted and run down all the time, our IV Hydration and B12 Injection Therapy services are available to give you the boost you need to feel better fast. We offer a variety of drips for your wellness needs, and weekly B12 clinics that make it easy to supplement the powerhouse vitamin that helps boost mental clarity, energy, improve sleep, and more. Booking online is easy and convenient!

All of our services can be booked on our scheduling site, or if you’re unsure what’s the best fit for you, we offer complimentary discovery calls to help you figure it out. 

Enjoy the Ride

Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the ride! As they say, the days are long but the years are short. We will undoubtedly miss the busyness of this season one day, but in the meantime, we’ll be here to support you on your health and wellness journey any way we can!