I know Mother’s day is over. Yet, why should we only praise the love, affection, and endless care of mothers only for one day? Rhea, the Mother-Goddess in Greek mythology – she gave birth to Zeus- would not have approved of this I guess. Mothers should be honored all year round, particularly in face of the tremendous challenges during the pandemic.
We would not even have this one day of praise, if it had not been for an American activist, Anna Marie Jarvis, who invented and fought for the celebration of mothers since 1907 when her mother died. She raised awareness throughout the country until President Woodrow Wilson finally declared Mother’s day as a national holiday in 1914. At least, one day of honor for mothers.
However, I think mothers deserve more praise. Since the outbreak of Covid-19 2 Billion mothers worldwide have relentlessly taken care of their families under extreme conditions. They had to become tutors, caregivers, motivational coaches, exercise trainers, management directors, chefs all at once, at the same time working in a tiny, noisy home-office – chapeau! Has this all been appreciated publicly? Not enough, I think. I have been talking to several Mom friends and clients during the last months and they all sounded, well, exhausted.
While I do not mean to diminish the increasing support of men in the household realm, mothers on this planet have been exposed to an enormous load of worries, stress, noise, responsibility, lack of sleep, and lack of privacy with little room for self-care for more than a year now. Thus, they become more prone to the risk of burn-out, high blood pressure, heart attacks, or excellerated aging.
Dear Moms, now is the time to take care of yourself again. The virus might be around for years, but you can only keep up, if you regain your strength and health. Here are some ideas:
For once, take off your mouth covers and BREATHE – in and out slowly. Close your eyes and inhale, appreciate all you have done and take time off for yourself. This is your time – concentrate on yourself and breathe out – let go of everything which is not YOU. Do this whenever you can – breathe consciously through your nose and enjoy each cycle of breathing as you focus your attention solely on your inhales – and exhales.
Do not forget to nurture yourself – proper nutrition for your body and soul are essential here. Sit down and prepare a fresh meal loaded with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and take time to enjoy it.
Make it a habit to take time off away from your obligations: Close the door for an hour, do Yoga, go for a run, have a good laugh, turn the music on and dance, read a good book, go for a walk and enjoy nature. Whatever you do, consider it a treat and enjoy it, if possible on a daily basis.
If you would like to get a detailed holistic plan for a day to recharge for free, we will send you one – see further information here.
Until we start to encounter more freedom from the challenges of the pandemic, let the Greek Mother Goddess take care of you, as you have been taken care of others.
Thanks to all Moms who made sure that out societies would function during the pandemic.
Ginger