Being a Mom is fucking HARD. Period.
Being a Sober Mom is even harder. It is a thankless job and your job is never done. You are never off the clock (and the pay sucks). For some Moms, unwinding with a glass of wine after the kids are in bed is a good way to relax, but not for Sober Alcoholic Moms. Sober Moms do not get that instant relief that comes with a drink. Moms that have chosen the path of sobriety have to find other outlets to unwind, which is why self care is so important. Having a self care routine for sober moms will make you a happier, better person, and in turn will make you a happier, better mama. Below is a great self care routine for sober moms.
Everyday do these 5 things:
Review Your Goals
Hydrate and Eat Nourishing Foods
Exercise
Practice Meditation/Mindfulness
Read Something Inspirational
SET GOALS AND GET A HOBBY
Mom’s are the CEO of the family. They are in charge of the laundry, cooking, homework, cleaning, driving, etc. Moms make sure everyone is taken care. Which is why as a Mom, it’s easy to forget about what YOU really want when you are spending a majority of your day thinking about others.
What is it that you want?
Think about it and write it out. It can be something as simple as going on an evening walk a few days a week , or a big goal to run a marathon. Whatever the goals are, make sure they excite you and you have something of your own to strive for. Family is important, but you can’t live for others. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Get a hobby that you love.
Monalisa, sober for 8 years, recently took up bowhunting. Her daughter is in school now, and she has been a dedicated, hands on stay at home mom since her daughter was born. It is now HER time. She practices with her bow during the day, and goes on hunting trips. She said she finally feels like she has something for HER. And, its pretty bad ass if you ask me. Listen to her Podcast Episode Here
Every morning, review the goals you have written out and make sure you are setting time aside for your hobby or to achieve your goal. Not sure where to start? Click here to get the FREE Goal Getter workshop. It will teach you how to discover your passion, set your goals, and create a schedule on how to achieve them.
DIET AND EXERCISE
You need to exercise, hydrate, and not eat destructive foods. While active in addiction, behavior including lack of sleep, poor diet, dehydration is self destructive behavior. The habitual behavior of putting poison in your body, usually followed up with heavy, greasy food the next day is counter intuitive to self preservation. Getting sober and choosing the path of self healing needs to be all encompassing which includes what you eat, drink, and how you move your body.
Diet Preparing your meals for the week ahead of time will help to not binge eat, or skip meals, or grab fast food in a hurry. When I am in a weight loss phase, I love the Keto diet. It is easy, and my hunger goes away almost completely and I drop weight FAST. To see if Keto is for you, Click Here for your free Keto Meal Plan.
Hydrate Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces. (If you weigh 150lbs, drink 75 ounces. If you weight 200lbs, drink at least 100 ounces)
Exercise Moving everyday is an essential component for health and wellness, and sobriety. Find a routine that works for you. Joining a gym, taking daily walks, doing yoga at home, swimming are a few ways to get your body moving at least 30 minutes everyday.
“After I had my baby boy, I started taking short walks. Week by week, my walks got longer and longer. I downloaded audiobooks and would walk and listen to inspirational books or podcasts. I started to look forward to my daily walks and as a result of moving daily I dropped my baby weight without focusing on weight loss.”
How I lost 60Lbs of Baby Weight in 9 Months
FREE WEEKLY WORKOUT SCHEDULE AND FREE KETO MEAL PLAN
MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION
Adding meditation and mindfulness to the self care routine for sober moms is probably the most important step.
When I first came across the idea for meditating to stay sober, I thought I could skip that part. The thought of sitting with legs crisscrossed, burning incense, and humming did not sound appealing to me at all. What meditation does is calm the brain and open the window to the subconscious. The benefits from meditation are less anxiety, more intuitive and creative thoughts, and more effective use of time. It is like driving a car on the freeway: you feel as if you are going slow, but you’re actually moving fast. Some of our world’s highest achievers such as Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, and Tony Robbins use meditation as part of their daily routines.
Meditation is best done first thing in the morning while your brain is still quiet. When you wake up, find a place you will be uninterupted, and sit upright. Set a timer for fifteen minutes and put on earphones with relaxing music or a meditation app. Close your eyes and take deep belly breaths to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Focus on the breath at first and then try to let all other thoughts go. When a thought comes in like I have to call that client back today or I have a deadline I forgot about, acknowledge the thought and let it pass.
Click Here for Guided Meditation
Starting meditation is like training for a marathon. I recommend five minutes at first and working your way up from there. You will be amazed at all the thoughts that come into your mind while you are sitting in silence, but it gets easier over time. If you are saying to yourself, I am too busy to meditate, then you probably need it the most. Meditation opens the door to the subconscious, so your visualizations will permeate the mind.
INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS
Below are some of my favorite books the either inspire, motivate, or teach me something new.
Sobriety
One Breath At A Time; Buddhism and the 12 Steps – Kevin Griffin
Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul – Jack Canfield
High Achiever– Tiffany Jenkins
The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous
Motivation and Inspiration
The Answer – John Assaraf
Can’t Hurt Me– David Goggins
The Alchemist– Paulo Coelho
The Secret– Rhonda Byrne
The Miracle Morning – Hal Elrod
Spiritual
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success– Deepak Chopra
The Completion Process– Teal Swan
The Celestine Prophecy– James Redfield
Soul Shifts– Dr Barbra De Angelis
Your Soul’s Plan– Robert Schwartz
The Energy of Prayer– Thich Nhat Hanh
The Four Agreements- Don Miguel Ruiz
Business
Four Hour Work Week– Tim Ferriss
The 12 Week Year – Bryan P. Moran
Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
The Compound Effect – Darren Hardy
Successful Sober Mom Squad
As a sober Mom, I have benefited beyond measure by having a Self Care routine. In a culture that seems to judge Moms for taking time for themselves, it can be hard to let go of the Mom guilt, or Culture Guilt for making your needs a priority. Let’s be honest, your grandma won’t be applauding you saying “what a great mom for leaving your baby with Dad and running a marathon!” In fact, it will probably the opposite and something like “I can’t believe she is leaving her baby to run a marathon.” I am here to tell you that it is ok to take care of yourself and not lose your identity in your child or family. Happy Mama, Happy Baby. Even if you’re not ready to go all in on your sober mom self care routine, I have something that will help you think completely differently about it, and help you stick to your goals. Click here and check out the FREE Goal Getter workshop. I also have an awesome resource library containing books, workout guides, sample affirmations, and more! Click here to check it out!
Xoxo
Lisa H