10 Ways To Be Your Own Mum This Mother’s Day

Mother's Day can be a complicated time for many people in our community. Heavy emotions surrounding infertility, loss, and complex relationships can be stirred up from traditional advertising at this time of year, making things oh-so-complicated for many.

However, the act of "mothering" is a practice rooted in love that can be applied to all aspects of life - including, and arguably most importantly - within yourself. In a world that feels like it is spinning a mile a minute, being your own nurturer, your own guide, your own mum, is an energy and practice we can all incorporate into our lives.

If you often have difficulty choosing the healthier "best" option for yourself throughout your day, talking to yourself with love and compassion, like the world's best mother would do, can seriously get you out of a funk. It might just be the single life hack that eases you into tiny, healthier choices throughout your day. We've been trying this out, and heck - you can even NAME your own "inner voice mum" and have some fun with it..er… I mean her! 🥰

Helping you take care of yourself is the true essence of what we do at The Green Kiss. When imagining what we could do for a Mother's Day campaign that would not trigger heavy emotions for so many, it dawned on us, that we can truly help you to Be Your Own Mum, all year long. 

Here is our Top 10 list of things that we know our 'inner mum' tells us to do on the daily. We invite you to use this Mother's Day season to lean into these healthy habits, even if it's just one or two.

1. Drink that water. Staying hydrated benefits your brain performance, digestion, joints, energy levels, heart health, kidney health, weight management, and ahem…. Skin health! (Water helps your skin maintain elasticity to reduce wrinkles and fine lines. Drink up!) Really, it makes every little part of your body work better! You have probably heard that drinking 6-8 cups of water a day is the "magic number" for H2O intake. However, new research shows that your weight and the amount you exercise play a role in how much you should be drinking. As a general rule, it is said that you should be drinking half your weight in ounces of water. (i.e. weigh 200 pounds? That means that you should be drinking closer to 12 cups of water a day, rather than the 6-8 you might think.)

2. Make your morning SPF application a non-negotiable. For me, it is my grandma's voice I hear in my head for this one, not my mum's. She's got plump, collagen-filled skin for an 80-something, and has been slathering SPF and wearing sun hats since I was a little girl. Using a daily broad-spectrum sunscreen, year-round, is the best healthy aging thing you can do for your skin.

3. Limit screen time. This is the big one that I need to "re-parent" myself for, cuz hey - social media was not a thing growing up in the 90s. Studies show that limiting screen time before bed can help improve sleep quality, reduce anxiety, and improve your overall sense of peace and well-being. Best practices, as per my naturopath - include keeping your phone out of your room so that you are not tempted to scroll before sleep or first thing in the morning. Wondering how you are going to wake up on time without your phone alarm? The Phillips Wake Up Light mimics a sunrise to wake you naturally, and it even has a similar "bird song" alarm that I have come to know and love on my iPhone.

4. Quit procrastinating your life admin. From opening mail to putting insurance renewal dates in your calendar, why do so many of us need help taking care of these big things that must be taken care of on time? Getting into the practice of taking care of something as soon as you open it and/or batching life admin work like this for a specific day of the week can help improve this stress-inducing bad habit that so many of us have of putting off things that are actually quite important!

5. Eat your greens. Yea, this might be the most 'mom-worthy nag' on the list. But as time has gone on, the more that research has shown how IMPORTANT greens are to your overall health...not to mention skin! What you eat directly impacts your microbiome, and an unbalanced gut can lead to inflammation and duller skin. Also, if nutrition is something that you want to improve, but it seems like such a dreadful thing, adding in something is a lot easier than taking it away. So, add in those greens.

6. Wash your face! Develop and stick to a natural evening skincare routine. Our skin is exposed to all sorts of grime, pollution, and bacteria throughout the day. But washing your skin and enjoying a multi-step evening skincare routine is not only beneficial for your skin health, but for your mental health too. Stepping into your washroom for a skincare routine can signal that you are done for the day and can truly relax. We love the BYOM (Be Your Own Mum) Bundle. It just feels ... right, to take 5 minutes each evening and practice self-care.

7. Daily movement. We've all been there - the cycle of saying that you'll get to the gym the next morning, after work, or in the evening and never actually get there. But daily movement is so essential for mental and physical health, and it doesn't have to be a crazy CrossFit class. Little steps are essential: starting a regular gym habit, or a daily stroll around the neighbourhood, anything from paddleboarding on a sunny day to checking out a local climbing gym counts! Some days you'll need to mother yourself to get out - but you'll always feel better afterward.

8. Make time for passions and hobbies. When life is busy, it's easy to let our hobbies slide - we might even feel guilty for taking time to pursue a passion when we could be spending that time working, or with your kids, or running errands. But just a bit of time to support these parts of lives can help you feel like you.

9. Connection. Find your people and make time for them! Whether it's friends, family, or your community, spending time with the people you love and who love you back is healing. It can be tricky with so many different schedules, but working to find the time helps with mental health, stress, and more. Plan a dinner at someone's house, find a hobby you can do together (hello, tip number 8), go for a walk, or just chat on the phone.

10. Try something new. This is like when you were a kid, and your parents convinced you to go to a dance class just to try, and realizing you loved it! Stepping out of your comfort zone isn't easy (it's called comfort zone for a reason!) and it doesn't really get easier the older you get. But it's good to shake it up and try something unique. I love grabbing a new recipe every so often to introduce a different cuisine to the family.

Overall, sometimes we need to look at and tell ourselves to get the tasks done, to start the habit, and to make the healthy choice...but to do that from a place of compassion and caring. The central theme of all these tips is that it doesn't need to be huge acts - small changes and shifts can add up. You might want to focus on the needs of everyone around you, but please try to make space to support and care for yourself. To be your own mum this Mother's Day and always 💐

If you are looking for more support with wellness, or to learn more about how small teeny tiny shifts like some of the above can really add up to truly change your life, check out Catherine Roscoe Barr of The Life Delicious. Applied neuroscience for everyday wellness is her specialty. She's got a book coming out soon, her women's coaching circle has provided immense support for me during my own personal wellness journey, and I learn something new each week from her through her free weekly newsletter! I have drank the Catherine Kool-Aid, and it's working <3 lol! 

Lots of love,
💚 Meg