The moment we become mothers, our entire understanding of “wellness” shifts. We are no longer just caring for our body, we are responsible in nurturing the mind and bodies of little humans too. Becoming a new mom while also working as a health and wellness nurse changed the way I viewed my own body.

I’ve encouraged rest, balanced living, and seeking emotional care within my patients but found focusing on my own wellbeing draining. After filling everyones cups during the day, I could not possibly think about filling mine. This way of living was not working for our family, so with a strong support system behind me we started making small daily changes to our routine at home.

One of my biggest challenges as a new mom, especially with two children, was the rushed and chaotic mornings. We would all wake up at the exact same time and the day immediately was off to a bad start. I was completely drained before 9AM. Now, the help in having a routine set up and habits formed has transformed our mornings.

Starting the morning off with a grounding routine leads to children feeling secure and balanced. Our family benefits significantly from having consistent routines. This means clothes are laid out the night before, diaper bag has to be packed, breakfast and snacks are prepped and the kitchen is cleaned. When my house wakes up the focus is now on getting ready for the day. There were plenty of days I felt like even changing out of my pajamas was too big of a task. When I started fully getting myself ready, my mood instantly changed. This also showed my three year old that getting dressed and brushing your teeth are fun things to do and never argues, except when she wants to wear her Frozen dress for the third day in a row.

If I do not have food prepped, I simply do not eat. Introducing this task to my toddler has only encouraged her to try more foods. A staple in our home is overnight oats. Quick, easy, and I can make the night before. My toddler has enjoyed helping me meal prep with cutting up fruit and pouring ingredients into the mason jars. You can easily pack in nutrients to these jars like greek yogurt, chia seeds, any type of fruit.

Blueberry Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Caring for these two young girls has pushed me into a whole new realm of health and wellness. We aim to prioritize movement every day. My kids thrive on moving their bodies. We take stroller walks to our local parks and playgrounds, ride our scooter/bike through the neighborhood, or play outback. On days that weather keeps us inside, creating an obstacle course with stepping stones or dancing to “Pink Pony Club” on repeat also will do.

One of the best ways we nurture emotional wellness in our home is creating space to reflect on the day. Either my husband or me will ask our three year old simple questions like, “What was your favorite part of today?” “Can you tell me a moment you were happy/sad?” “What do you think mommy/daddy favorite part of the day was?” This meaningful time helps her process those big emotions, feel heard and go to bed without any unanswered questions. Which she has a lot of these days.

You don’t need elaborate strict routines. Just showing up for the day and feeding every one in your house, is enough. If you want to start pouring back into your cup, focus in on the areas in your life you have neglected lately.