The Ultimate Glow-Up Checklist for Mamas

Do you feel as though you’ve lost a sense of yourself after becoming a mom? 

Are you struggling to lose those last 10 lbs from pregnancy?

Or did you gain an extra 10 lbs from all the stress and demands of becoming a mom?

Being a mom is a very demanding, full time job. Your kids need you all the time. From preparing and making meals, cleaning up after your kids, planning activities and playing with them- you wear many hats. 

It’s easy to put yourself last and to take care of your needs at the end of the day. 

However, you can fall into this downward spiral of putting yourself last and not taking care of yourself. 

You don’t shower for a few days. You’ve been able to style your messy bun in different ways. Yoga pants and joggers are comfortable and can be worn at home and for errands. You snack mindlessly on a few chips and crackers here and there… Even when you’re not hungry. You’re just tired or bored. Whatever the case may be, those calories add up and a few snacks here and there soon turns into two pounds… and then five pounds… and then ten pounds!

Before you know it, you’ve let yourself go without even realizing it. 

Well here’s your chance to stop letting yourself go and here’s a checklist to get your mommy glow up. 

Establish a Consistent Skincare Routine

A good skin care routine is so important for glowing, healthy skin. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and the first thing that other people notice about you. 

Having healthy, smooth, and glowing skin will make you look younger and more attractive. 

I know that there have been times when I’ve been so exhausted at the end of the day that I don’t want to do my full skin care routine. I just quickly wash my face with a gentle cleanser, pat dry and sloppily put on some moisturizer. 

After a few days of neglecting my skin, it really shows. I’ll get a few blemishes where I shouldn’t My face is oilier and my skin is less radiant. That’s my cue to put more time into my skin care routine. Not only is it good for my skin but it’s also good for my self- care and confidence. I know that once I start breaking out, my confidence starts to take a dip too. 

So take the time and put some extra effort into taking care of your skin.

Stay Hydrated

Hydrating yourself and drinking enough water daily is not only good for your skin but also good for your body. Your body needs water for many of it’s functions.

If you’re mildly dehydrated, you’ll feel tired, cranky and forgetful. 

Aim to drink at least 2L of water a day. You can purchase one large 2L water bottle and fill that up at the beginning of the day. Keep it at your desk, wherever you spend the most time, and near you so that you’re reminded to drink water. 

Move Your Body

Find an activity that you enjoy doing. 

Limit the Amount of News You Watch

I enjoy watching the news but I don’t keep it playing in the background as background noise anymore. More often than not, the news is filled with negative information such as robberies, kidnappings, deaths, strikes, and horrible events. 

Watching the news nonstop and having it play in the background can give you added stress an anxiety. 

I think it’s important to watch the news and catch up on daily events and to know what’s happening around you locally and in the world. However, don’t engross yourself in all of the negative information. You may find yourself over worrying and stressing about unnecessary things. 

Limit Screen Time 

Sitting for long amounts of time watching tv is not only bad for your health but also bad for your mental health. 

Limit Social Media Time

Social media is a great tool for connecting with other people and for chatting with friends. However, it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole and spend unnecessary amounts of time on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Put limits on how much time you can spend on social media. If you weren’t spending so much time on social media, is there something else that you could be doing?

Could you use that time to learn something new? Can you finish that book that you’ve been meaning to finish? Are there some things in your home that need tidying? 

Instead of scrolling through instagram or spending countless time reading Facebook posts, you could do something else that is more productive with your time. 

Read a Book

Reading is incredibly healthy for your brain. Reading helps boost the connectivity between your brain cells, increases your vocabulary and comprehension, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and reduces cognitive decline as you age. Reading daily has also been linked with reducing your chances of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. 

There are so many great genres of books out there. You can choose a fiction, romantic, fantasy book or anything in personal development. There are so many great options out there. The best part is that you can read at anytime throughout the day. 

Learn Something New

As we get older, we’re less likely to try and challenge ourselves to learn something new. However, you want to learn something new to challenge your brain to think outside of its comfort zone. And to stretch its neural connections. 

I personally love learning new recipes. Since I have to cook for my famly anyways, I figured I could try to learn and experiment with new recipes. This makes cooking fun and exciting for me. 

Sometimes cooking everyday can seem boring and mundane because you’re prepping everything, cooking the meal and then you have to clean up afterwards. By experimenting and trying new recipes, I get to have fun with it. 

I also like to experiment with different recipes to see what my kids may like and may not like. I want my kids to have an eclectic taste palate and so I try to cook different things and introduce them to different types of flavors.

Learning something new can be anything for you. It can be learning how to paint, watercolor, play an instrument, knit, crochet. The options are endless. 

Laugh

I know this sounds pretty crazy but you need to put on a comedy and listen to something funny. I feel as though we get caught up in our mundane tasks and daily lives that we forget how to live and just let loose.