Taking care of ourselves and dedicating time for us is one of the recurring themes we handle when we talk about the importance of well-being when you are a mother. And having time for yourself after having children is very important for you to feel good about yourself.
However, these self-care spaces are rarely available when we have children because many of us find it difficult to have them, as a study shows, in which it was found that one in two mothers in Spain does not have time to take care of herself or dedicate herself.
The DKV Institute of Healthy Life, every year performs a study that analyzes the healthy and well-being habits of women in Spain. In its fifth edition, more than 3,000 Spaniards participated, sharing their life habits, from their physical well-being and food, to their medical care and rest.
In Babies and more, seven habits of happy mothers that you can put into practice from todayWithin the extensive report about all these areas of physical and psychological health of women in Spain, the habits of those who already had children were also analyzed and that made up 53% of the participants.
When asked to rate your general welfare state, taking into account physical, psychological and emotional factors, mothers responded as follows:
- 9.39% replied that it was very good.
- 57.95% replied that it was good.
- 27.96% responded that it was fair.
- 3.57% responded that it was bad.
- 1.12% responded that it was very bad.
As to how often they felt stressed, the mothers were divided into two groups: married or in pairs and separated or divorced.
Of the group of those who were married or in a couple, 7.08% said they felt stressed always, 24.35% quite a few times, 68.58% sometimes and none responded that they never felt stressed. Of the group of those who were separated or divorced, 8.75% said they always felt stressed, 24.58% quite a few times, 66.25% sometimes, and 0.42% said they never felt stressed.
Continuing the theme of stress, they were asked if they felt overwhelmed by it, to which they responded the following:
- From the group of married or couple mothers: 5.34% always, 16.09% quite a few times, 60.83% sometimes and 17.44% never.
- From the group of separated or divorced mothers: 7.50% always, 17.92% quite a few times, 58.33% sometimes and 16.25% never.
As for physical activity, they were asked if they practiced any type of exercise, to which the 36.30% of mothers responded that they did not do more physical activity than their daily activities required, while 35.18% worried about incorporating it into their daily routine (such as climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator) and 28.52% said that they did some physical activity such as playing sports or going to the gym.
Speaking of time for them, 16.61% responded that they never or almost never had it, 48.35% said they only had time for them from time to time, 20.53% tried hard and usually got time for them, while only 14.51% had specific moments reserved for them and enjoyed them almost always.
The issue of time for you when you are a mother is usually something that still presents certain impediments. On the one hand, there is the obvious: the multiple occupations and responsibilities between home, family and work make having time alone something very rare or scarce for mothers.
On the other hand, there is also an emotional factor that prevents it from being sought or held frequently: guilt. Somehow, it is thought that the fact of needing or wishing time alone is something of selfish mothers, when it is not like that.
In Babies and more Most mothers and fathers want more time for them, but they feel guilty when they get itIn fact, spending time for you is something that benefits your whole family in many aspects, starting with the fact that when you feel better after dedicating spaces just for you, you return full of energy, more relaxed and optimistic, to continue living with your family.
By spending time for yourself, either to relax or to do the things you like, you free yourself for a moment of that accumulated stress, get out of the routine and also, leave aside (even for a few moments) the mental burden that We always carry mothers. Further, let's not forget the great example you give your children about self-care and self-esteem.
Photos | iStock
Via | The vanguard
