Hey there, Mumma. I see you.

Being a mother is one of the most rewarding experiences in this life, but let’s face it; it can also be incredibly challenging.

From the moment that little baby is in our arms, it’s like our entire existence becomes about someone else. We become so busy with taking care of our families, and everything that comes with the title “mum” that at the end of the day, we have little left in the tank for ourselves.

There’s no shortage of blogs, articles, social media posts, and reminders all around us about “filling our own cups”, “putting our oxygen mask on first”, or the classic, “self-care is self-love”, but when you’re deep in those trenches of motherhood, they leave you rolling your eyes and wondering if they were actually written by a parent, right?

This won’t be just another blog post telling you to pop on a face mask and watch all your touched-out, overstimulated worries be set free into the universe. It doesn’t work like that. Instead, it will serve as your reminder, from your stern-yet-loving friend, that sees you neglecting yourself.

Read on to learn why self-care is integral to the wellbeing of a mother

What rhymes with ‘mum’? Stress. Stress is an unavoidable part of life when you become a parent. At every stage of your parenting journey, the one thing that never leaves the nest is stress – it just evolves. One minute you’re stressed about another sleepless night, then the latest episode of Bluey not loading, then that first teenage party to in what feels like a blink of an eye, *bam*, unloading the moving truck to their first place or uni dorm.

All jokes aside, stress takes a significant toll on the mind and body. When we’re living in a state of fight or flight, our cortisol levels skyrocket. Living in a state of cortisol can have prolonged negative effects on our physical and mental health, particularly around inflammation, a vulnerable immune system, high blood pressure, and tension held within the body. As we know, all of these factors directly impact the skin, our body’s largest organ.

What may surprise you

Facial treatments are one of the most underrated stress relievers. A relaxing facial treatment stimulates what’s known as the vagus nerve. This is a key player in the role of our parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for taking us from ‘fight or flight’ to ‘rest and digest’.

The parasympathetic nervous system works to control our heart rate, mood, anxiety levels, and ability to self-regulate in challenging times. During the comforting touch and massage of a relaxation facial, this is actively engaged. That’s why when you awake from a facial, you feel like you can take on the world. It’s not a coincidence – it’s science!

Additionally, during a treatment, your facial muscles loosen and relax which opens our eyes to how much tension you’ve been holding or how tight you’ve been clenching beforehand. Rhythmic motions boost blood circulation that sees inflammation reduce, puffiness decreased, and a natural glow returned to the body.

When mums prioritise taking care of themselves, there’s no doubt that they feel better physically and mentally. Like all wellbeing journeys, it’s about consistency and not leaving your tank until it’s in reserve to refill. Daily rituals, as well as monthly restorative ones like a facial, sees self-care become second nature.

For many mums, especially those with little ones, they feel overwhelmed by the idea of self-care because it sounds like “just another thing on the to-do list”. Why? Because we’re told that self-care needs to always be this grand gesture or elaborate activity, but it can be something that takes you 5 minutes a day. The goal is that it’s something that enriches you mentally, physically, spiritually, or emotionally, and you do it every single day.

Some examples include:

• A 5–10-minute meditation before bed – many apps offer this
• Playing your favourite podcast during a walk to the park
• Listening to your favourite music and having a boogie with your little ones when cooking dinner
• Handing over bedtime routine to your over half and taking a bath and doing your skincare routine
• Ordering Coles online in secret and then using that hour to have a coffee in peace. I mean what? We didn’t say that! 🙂

When we practice self-care and give back to ourselves, we’re setting a positive example for our children, regardless of their age. Our children learn by example, they see, hear, and absorb way more than we think. So, by seeing their mum fill up her cup, it teaches them the importance of doing the same and communicating those needs with others.

So go on Mumma. Start putting yourself first more often. The sky isn’t going to fall if you take a moment for yourself – it’ll shine brighter.

In fact, send this to your other half, or even your teenage children, tonight and tell them you want a gift voucher to Beaute for Mother’s Day.

Tell them it’s for science 🙂