Make Yourself a Priority this New Year: Tips from Local Moms

The new year ushers in many feelings, people begin to make resolutions, and recently the trend is to pick a word. For moms, this word should be “YOU.”

As a parent, prioritizing yourself is often challenging, but we all know the whole house benefits when mom is rested and cared for.

We reached out to some local Vancouver moms, who all had similar answers. Most of their time is spent with their kids, at work, or in the house — nearly all said they do not have the time to do anything for themselves.

And a common theme I heard from all of these women is they plan on doing more self-care this year. Here are some great tips and ideas for what they already do and what they plan on doing:

How to make yourself a priority in 2023

Relax before bed

“I have been doing nothing for myself at all and feel like I hit rock bottom overall, physically and mentally. It made me realize I have to change and do something different. I’ve started reading before bed and going to bed earlier. I’ve also started a new supplement routine and changed my diet, not necessarily for weight loss but just to feel better.”

~Nikki Nercessian, mom of 3, Surrey

Have an at home spa day

“I don’t often make myself a priority. This year I would love to incorporate some kind of workout routine to my day, but it’s super hard with the restrictions. And we have limited room in a small apartment and my husband is working from home. I would love to get outside more when the weather is nice. What I do for self-care is give myself spa services – aromatherapy and face masks are my favourite.”

~ Amanda Dias, mom of 1, Burnaby

Do your makeup

“Always remember who you were before you had kids. Do things that make you happy, even if it is the smallest thing. In order to feel like myself I always ensure I have time to get ready in the morning and put on my makeup. Never lose sight in you. I know it can be challenging at times when you have children but it’s important. I’m planning on incorporating cardio into my routine and working out at least three times a week. This will make me feel positive energy and it will be great for getting my body back into shape.”

~Ashley Larson, mom of 2, Langley

Sit down without feeling guilty

“After being home with my kids for 11 years and now being back to work I’m finding it much harder to make myself a priority. What I do for myself is sit down without feeling guilty. I enjoy taking the time to sit with tea, listen to audio books and mindlessly scroll my phone. I also love taking ridiculously long hot showers. This year I plan to make a schedule to make my time a priority. Always remember to be kind with yourself, be your own best friend and don’t be the toxic person in your own mind.”

~Tannis Holm, mom of 2, Langley

Schedule it in

“Self-care is like air for me, it’s non-negotiable otherwise I’m not being my best self. I have a routine and I schedule it in. When I don’t stick to my routine my self-care gets pushed to the side and I can really start to feel it. For me it starts first thing in the morning. I wake up earlier than my kids to sit and have a coffee in the peaceful silence of the morning. This is a reflection time for me and I think about my day. I end my day with gratitude and breathing. After my girls go to bed I pause and take 20 intentional breaths, this signals my brain to switch to calm down mode.  Finally, when I hop into bed I will journal about my day and what I’m grateful for. Remember, it’s important to try out different things and see what feels good. Also, know that self-care might feel weird at first but stick with it.”

~Melissa Jevne, mom of two, Surrey

Make 2023 the year you make yourself a priority. Whatever you need to do for yourself, make the time. I’m hoping these amazing moms will inspire you to spend a little bit of time on yourself and not feel guilty about it.

Share how you prioritize yourself with us by using #vancouvermom.