By Dalene Kooper
Being a mother is no certainly not an easy feat, especially mother’s who work and make ends meet to take care of their loved ones. This sometimes can be overwhelming and tiring, but some mother’s occasionally take time out and focus on themselves as a form of self care.
One such mother is Poiya Media Founder Ilke Platt who says the COVID-19 pandemic was daunting and had left a psychological impact on everyone. We’ve got inspirational moms to tell us how they are juggling motherhood with self-care.
As they all mentioned that as mothers, they cannot pour from an empty cup. The mother of two told unWrap online that the isolation, lack of support and having to manage increased higher levels of stress, caused by having to worry about family care, child care and school, forced her to detach herself from supportive social circles.
“A lot of emphasis has been placed on self-care in general and also being more attentive to those people and things that matter the most, including mother’s themselves. Our communities are becoming more understanding and supportive, putting the system in place to allow mothers to take care of themselves,” Platt said.
She added that she uses her time off from work and her children, to treat herself in various ways including taking a solo trip out of town to enjoy her peace and quiet.
“I used to feel guilty when taking time off for myself but I learned the hard way that I can’t give my best as a mother if I am burnt out. Taking care of yourself is taking care of your family. Your body can be taken care of but if your soul is not nurtured in the word then all goes to waste,” she said.
Another super mother of two Nelaolange Shipushu, told unwrap.online that society needs to calm down with the stigma of slamming mothers that look after themselves. She passionately believes that mothers should selfishly invest in selfcare, self-development, carve out their careers, chase their dreams and take the necessary time to live their best lives.
“We are pulled in different directions, giving so much of ourselves every single day. We cannot possibly perform the way we do pouring from an empty cup. I can attest that I am able to give my best and to share the best parts of myself, when I take care of myself first,”
“The most important thing that I do for myself is I constantly try to train my mind to utter kind, encouraging and congratulatory words, not only to myself but towards others as well. This is a continuous work in progress. Another thing that to tell myself to stay close to God no matter what. I continuously pray for wisdom to discern what is for me and what’s not, for strength to resist earthly things and the urge to compare my life with others and to live a full life by my terms,” Shipushu added.
