This post was sponsored by Nestlé.
Recently Nestlé asked me to define wellness, and that really got me thinking…
Wellness for me is being able to be me in every sense of the word, to be able to fulfill my dreams while being the best mom that I can be, be what I need to be when I need to be it, and be whole – mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
However, I often end up feeling as if I come up short – especially when I am on social media.
Have you noticed the latest trend on social media?
Moms are feeling pressurized to share their picture-perfect lives – everything from their kid’s snack plates to gym selfies, just to show the world that they have it all together.
We get judged on what we feed our kids, how often we exercise and the most popular question we get asked is… “when are you planning to lose that “baby” weight?”
We follow people on social media who scream out “Eat like me, look like me” in their pictures. But many of them don’t speak about personal wellness and how it can affect you mentally.
There’s so much more to wellness than exercising daily or eating ‘clean’.
We seem to live in a world where we think that Instagram pictures speak volumes about what an ideal life should be like – but for me, wellness cannot be described in one picture – especially not as a mom.
Wellness is extremely important, even though many of us don’t even think that much about it. For me, it could be taking an afternoon stroll with the kids or spending time together in the garden.
I am sure that social wellness is probably the last thing that comes to mind when you think of the word wellness but for me, it’s the first…
Social wellness is just so important.
We all need to remember that as moms, improving our relational wellness can have a huge impact on how we feel and on our overall well-being – which ends up affecting everyone at home.
I have learned the hard way that wellness is also about remembering ME and taking care of ME because I don’t want to fall into depression again.
Sometimes we need to realize that we can’t do it all… WE need help!
Everyone that reads my blog seems to think that I have it all together. I am always getting messages applauding me for what I do and how I multi-task but the truth is that I don’t do it all on my own… What you see on social media doesn’t necessarily mean my life is all roses and unicorns. I have a support system of people who help me every day. Because of my support, I have time to focus on myself and what I love.
Today, I urge you to take a step back and look at your life and where you are at this point in it. Challenge yourself to try to do something new! Create new wellness habits that impact everyone in the family in a positive way.
10 Wellness tips for you and the family:
1. Create a routine.
2. Keep a Journal – Maybe try meal planning for a week?
3. Make sure you have breakfast too!
4. Identify what relaxes you – Getting a facial or massage always works for me!
5. Change your scenery – Take a trip with the family at least once a month.
6. Do something just for you – Maybe have a bubble bath before you sleep?
7. Limit screen time at home and encourage outside play.
8. Do something physical outside with the kids – Maybe play a sport?
9. Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day!
10. Go to bed earlier – trust me, it makes a huge difference.
Slow down… Take breaks… Don’t push yourself too hard.
I am not overworking myself anymore. I want to spend more time with my family.
Taking time for yourself is not selfish.
Take 15-30 minutes per day to focus on your personal wellness and maybe grab a smoothie 😉 with your partner to talk about what’s on your mind.
Look at yourself in the mirror and remember that you are a strong woman who is always trying to make things work.
Being REAL is okay.
We have to appreciate being who we are.
It’s okay to have pyjama days, and yes even jam in your hair. So, what if you do not look like you stepped out of a magazine every day?
I certainly do not want my kids remembering a mom who was constantly grumpy and harassed or a mom who always shouted and ‘lost it.’ I want to be remembered for the smiles, the dancing in the rain and the mom who made eating healthy a fun game for the little ones. Because I am a legacy and I am me…. I am a MOM.
Competition
You can win one of two awesome hampers from Nestlé!
HOW TO ENTER:
1. Share this post on social media.
2. Leave a comment –
Let me know what does Wellness mean for you?
EARN EXTRA ENTRIES:
Tweet about the competition:
I want to WIN with @youbabyandi and @NestleSA. You can WIN too, enter here: https://goo.gl/sNVdE2. #ChooseWellnessChooseNestle
Competition closes 29 June 2017!
Good luck.
Opened to South Africans Only.
Hi, I’m Shan. I’m a wife, mom to 3 kids and a businesswoman who works from home and gets very little sleep at night. My days are filled with dirty diapers and toddler tantrums, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I am in the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Forbes Africa 2019 and just recently launched my start-up – MomSays.
Welness to me means, taking care of yourself as a woman! Spoiling yourself regarly! Taking it easy on yourself. Enjoy life!
Eating fresh foods and living healthy
Wellness is eating healthy, exercising regularly and surrounding yourself with positive people.
Living life to the fullest everyday.
A healthy mind, creates a healthy body!
Taking care of myself & my family, having time for myself to relax & unwind, not stressing about things that aren’t in my control(taking it easy), eating healthy, drinking enough water & exercising that is what Wellness means to me
Wellness means taking care of myself and eating healthy, exercising as well as getting plenty of sleep. Taking time for myself to relax having a bubble bath also to go for regular massages to keep me grounded.
For a first time mom wellness is very important especially for taking care of yourself and your family to lead a bit healthier lives.
Wellness is not just about the right food and drink but about peace in the heart, love and a freedom to be who you are…..regardless of what you look like (site 2 or 22).
Wellness for me is looking after yourself and your family to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Wellness is eating a balanced diet, drinking enuf water, exercising, getting to bed on time (or atleast trying to achieve one of these) enjoying the moment, forgiving those who have upset me and most importantly myself. Wellness is to be happy, mind, body and soul.
To me wellness is all encompassing
It means being healthy mentally and physically
I also means having a balanced perspective of life
It must be well with body mind an soul. An most of all be happy an the rest will fall into place
Wellness for me starts with my sanity- the fact that I can keep my child healthy (even with something so small as veggies a day) and safe. Secondly whenever I feel like things are getting too much or I just need a break, I listen to one of my favourite podcasts. Upliftment right there:)
Wellness to me means being kind to myself and loving myself, and I can then in turn give love to others! It all starts with positive thoughts which translates into mind and body wellness
Wellness, the state of experiencing wellbeing. When people think wellness, they sometimes picture their ideal selves: a perfect zen balance of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. However, that image is usually marred by the reality of modern life – we’re often too busy, too stressed to make wellness a priority. To make ourselves, our health, our connection with nature and our happiness, a priority. And that’s something we all deserve to change.
My passion for wellness stems from my childhood and from my father’s love of exercise. For as long as I can remember, my father was doing calisthenics every morning and night in my parents’ bedroom. We would climb all over him as he cranked through his sit-ups, push-ups, and stretches. Back in 1970, he even got stopped by the police for running in the neighbourhood; since jogging was such a new concept, they thought his activity was “suspicious.”
He is now approaching the ripe young age of 79 and hasn’t slowed down one bit. We frequently hike Cowles Mountain in San Diego together, and he still charges up the mountain, passing everyone in sight. I inherited his passion for moving, sweating, pushing myself, and actively enjoying the outdoors. I feel most alive when I’m out on a hike, in nature, and moving my body. I also feel immense gratitude to have a healthy body that is capable of doing all the activities I like to do. I HAVE TWEETED as well @rehanaseedat
To me it means the importance of staying health and eating a healthy diet. I’m still struggling even today with baby fat and I don’t know what to cut . This blog post is helpful thanks..
The bigger problem that I’m facing right now is in my stomach..
Being of sound health mentally, physically and spiritually <3
When I think of wellness, it makes me think of the overall picture. Like a jigsaw puzzle. Each puzzle piece fits perfectly into the next one. My “wellness”puzzle pieces are a healthy body, mind and heart. I try to keep my family healthy by trying to make food that are both tasty and nutritional. When I think about the mind, I try to engage my little boy with fun little games while teaching him about different objects and sounds and instead of shouting at him I’ll rather try a different approach by explaining things to him and the reason why he can’t have the remote or my cell phone or put certain things in his mouth. 🙂 The heart for me is the most important part of our wellness journey because you can’t have a healthy mind or body if your heart is not well. There are so many things that touches my heart and influence my daily life. Looking at my little boy’s face while feeding him when the rest of the world is fast asleep. Listening to his laughter and giggles when my hubby plays with him and my heart skips a beat when I get home from work and I see the pure joy in his little face and he crawls to me so that I can pick him up. And in between all my household chores, being a full time employee and mommy duties, I try not to lose myself. I would like to think that I’m still me, just a bit older and wiser version of a few years ago. We as Moms can be so hard on ourselves. But my boy is almost a year old. I’ve done it! I brought him into this world and I’ve managed to look after him for 11 months. And he is healthy and happy. We love Nestle and there are so many products that we buy every month. I love this wellness initiative and winning this Nestle hamper would be the ultimate blessing. I really enjoy your blog Shan and reading about your wellness journey is really informative and your words are so inspiring.
It means stay fit. Eat the right foods. ❤❤
I LOVE this! I’m so glad you included social wellness. Total wellness includes both the physical and mental aspect.
I love how you mention social wellness is so important too! It’s so very true! Wellness is different to everyone so I loved reading your perspective on the issue!
Wellness to me means a body that I feel comfortable in, a spirit that I’m happy with, positive people around me, and a general feel good feeling. It’s not about your numbers on the scale, or how healthy you are or aren’t, it’s how you care for yourself physically and mentally that’s important.
I love that you included the relational aspect. That is important to me. I need to maintain my friendships.
That’s the thing about social media, instead of using it for good, we see all of these people pressuring moms to be perfect in every single way. It is annoying and insulting and to most it is disheartening. I’ve learned to shut down people and not care about what they say about how I parent my kids through the years. It is never easy and I think it’s important that we focus on our family and ourselves and just not mind these people anymore.
I definitely remind myself quite regularly that Instagram is not people’s lives – just snapshots presented in the best light possible. It helps keep it real.
This is a great giveaway! Wellness mean a great balance between work and family.