#1: CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF IN A VERY DELIBERATE WAY
Just like you would check in with a child when they come home from school…
“How are you honey? How was your day?”
Make it a ritual to do that for yourself – several times of the day.
This fosters a relationship with yourself and starts a nurturing conversation versus the critical or judging conversation that is often running in our heads.
#2: MAKE A LIST OF WHAT COMFORTS YOU
A mom has comforting tricks up her sleeve. She knows a hug or a special meal or a hot water-bottle and a heavy quilt just might soothe the soul.
You probably know what comforts you. Make an actual hard-copy list and hang it up somewhere you can see it.
When you really need comforting, it’s hard to remember those special things that really put you at ease.
#3: PUT YOUR HAND ON YOUR HEART – DAILY!
There’s something in the way a loving mother puts her hand on her child. It’s with tenderness and it communicates a deep presence and connection.
Do that for yourself. Try it now. Just gently put your hand on your heart and breath slowly. Your own touch can be soothing and healing.
#4: CALL IN OTHER MOTHERS
Call in the troops for your mothering!
Yes, I know, technically this isn’t exactly doing it yourself, but allowing yourself to receive support is a true act of self-mothering.
So, who in your life holds a compassionate and caring space for you?
Make a date with them. Hang out with the people in your life that remind you that you are whole and perfect!
Just because you’re not related, doesn’t mean you can’t soak in the mothering-vibe.
#5: FEED YOURSELF THE WAY YOU WOULD IF YOU WERE SPENDING THE DAY WITH A CHILD
When we head out for the day with a child, we….
- pack snacks
- stop regularly for meals
- plan in a treat
- hydrate regularly
When we are with a child, we know that if we wait too long to eat, that child will get cranky, so we feed them! We also know if we feed them processed and sugary food all day we’ll probably end up with a cranky kid with a tummy ache, so we pack real food, but we don’t forget to pack something deluxe too!
Do the same for yourself. Be a good mom and take the time to think of your food needs – both from the perspective of nutrition and pleasure!
Self-mothering is a nourishing practice.
Make it part of your life.
You deserve it!
And, of course, if nourishing and caring for yourself feels hard to do, let’s talk! I help women listen deeply to themselves so they can create a relationship with their body that is based on trust, compassion and respect.
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Nina Manolson, MA, NBC-HWC, board certified Health Coach, Psychology of Eating Coach and Certified Body-Trust Provider, believes that every woman deserves to feel good in her own body.
She helps women create a healthy and positive relationship with their food and body so they can love their body and life! She’s the founder of NinaManolson.com and The Nourished Woman Nation.
She helps busy women feel good in their own body.. She specializes in working with women over 40 who have tried other diets and approaches but are still struggling with their body and food.
She’s the creator of the BODY-LOVE MAP and the recipient of the prestigious Health Leadership Award from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
To get your F.R.E.E. ebook: HOW TO BE A WOMAN AT EASE IN YOUR BODY click here.
Nina Manolson, MA, is the founder of Body-Peace®.She helps women end the war with food and body and finally feel truly at home in their body—as it is.
She is known for her deeply feminist, anti-diet, body-peace® approach. She brings her 30 years of experience as a therapist, Body-Trust® Guide and Psychology of Eating Teacher to helping women create a respectful and trusting relationship with their food and body.
Nina’s Body-Peace® work is all in service of helping people get off the diet roller-coaster, and into a compassionate and powerful way of eating & living which creates a positive long-lasting change in and with their bodies. Her courses, coaching, poems and Body-Peace APP positively change the conversation that women are having with their body.
Start your Body-Peace® journey with this free masterclass that will help you understand and shift your relationship with your body.
