Most of us spend lots of time taking care of our girls. We do our best to meet their physical, spiritual and emotional needs in the way parents should. But, if we are being honest, this can often override meeting some of our own basic needs needs.

And thus, the downward spiral of miserable mom syndrome begins.

While I am not someone who thinks you need to be all about meeting your own needs all of the time, I am someone who believes that you should put your own oxygen mask on first. You know what I am talking about…think stewardess and your last flight.

The two main areas I see this playing out for moms is in our time with God, and with our health.

We know we need God to get through the day. We know that His Word is what gives us wisdom to walk through the challenges, the stress and all of the blessings. We know that the time we spend with Him changes us, shapes us and conforms us to His image so that we can serve our families and the world around us.

Yet, we neglect that time because our family “needs us”.

I know that struggle, and ladies, it is real. But our kids will survive a few moments without us. They will. And, they will reap the benefits of a mom who has been with Jesus. You are loving them well by taking that time for yourself.

The same goes for our health. We don’t exercise, eat well or sleep enough. There are things to do and we need to get them done. But, we wake up every morning feeling tired, cranky and generally blah.

No one is perfect. We all go through seasons where we need to put a few things aside. But, learning to care for the temple God has given you with proper nutrition, exercise and sleep will only make you better able to serve. You will have more energy, be able to run, play and enjoy your time with the kiddos, and probably be a much more pleasant version of yourself.

My tips are not rocket science. They aren’t time savers or mom-hacks. But, they will yeild some pretty significant rewards for you in the day to day grind of mothering well.

Schedule in a workout at least three times a week. Workouts don’t need to be long, they just need to get your body moving. Choose something you love, so that you don’t dread this time in your day.

Put down the sugary sweets and grab some veggies, fruit and/or protein.

Turn off Netflix and get to bed.

Your body will start to feel brand new in 2 weeks. I promise. You will be much less snappy, and find yourself feeling a lot more capable of making it through the day.

You don’t have to go full-on Paleo and spend two hours at CrossFit (unless you really want to, and then, by all means, go for it). Just take care of yourself.

Put your oxygen mask on…then you can get everyone else settled.

*If you need a resource, I’ve got a 3 Day Bible Study and Workout Guide (it’s free, just sign up here).