Health, Hair and Happiness: Helpful Hacks For Manic Mothers

Since becoming a mother your life has changed in ways you never imagined. Instead of boozy brunches it is now hourly bottle feeds; chic cocktail dresses have been replaced with stained tracksuits and loose t-shirts. Being a busy mother means that your focus has now shifted onto caring for your little ones instead of yourself, but in order to be the best mom you can be, you need to start looking out for your own health and wellbeing. So many new moms lose their sense of self-worth and forget to live their own lives. Many are often too busy to notice that they are neglecting themselves and can fall into a trap of anxiety or even depression. All you need to do learn some basic time-saving tricks which will not only help you get through a busy day, but will also give you an extra boost to start caring for yourself. Your baby needs to grow up with a fun loving, confident mommy who can teach them how to live a fulfilled and happy life. Start showing yourself some extra love and you will notice the positive effects it can have on your entire life.  

Hot Hair Help

You wake up each morning to the stirring sounds of your little one whimpering. With your eyes half open to catch a glance in the mirror as your head downstairs to prepare the baby bottle; your hair hasn’t been brushed in about a week. You have endless split ends and your roots resemble a color that even you don’t recognize. Having long or medium length hair can be a nightmare to maintain when you’re a busy mother. You have to pencil an entire evening in your diary to give it a thorough wash and blow dry; even the thought of starting the process is too tiring to even think about. Overlooking your hair disasters can have harmful long-term effects so you might want to book in for a trim as soon as you can.

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On a daily basis you can achieve glossy, sleek hair without even having to try too hard. For those days that you’re rushed off your feet with household chores you can simply spritz a deliciously scented dry shampoo into your roots and feel fresher than ever. This trick will tide you over for a couple of days before you need to attempt the dreaded wash and blow dry. Washing your hair shouldn’t take more than five or ten minutes, so try to get your locks completely nourished at least twice a week. If you don’t have the time or energy to dry your hair you could try scrunching in some styling moose into the tips of your hair. Overnight your hair become naturally tousled and you will wake up with clean, wavy hair which will require little attention for another couple of days.

Basic Beauty

Before motherhood crept up on you, you used to scour the make-up counters and beauty aisles in the department stores looking for the latest lip color to wow your beau. Your mind was constantly consumed by thoughts of how to improve your skin and prevent wrinkles. You never thought the day would arrive when you didn’t wear flawless make-up every day and didn’t partake in your daily facial cleansing routine. Nowadays, your beauty regime has taken a back seat ever since you had a baby to take care of. Your looming zits and dry patches are no longer a priority and you sweep these impending problems to the back of your mind. The truth is, there are more important problems than your skincare habits, but you do need to continue looking after yourself.

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You will grow to resent yourself if you don’t take some sort of interest in your appearance; often you start to feel better about yourself when you wear makeup or treat yourself to a face mask. Obviously, it is completely impractical to slap on a full face of contoured makeup every morning; there simply isn’t time for that. What you can do is indulge in a basic routine for just five minutes each day. Here’s how you can use just a few minutes to bring a bright dewy glow back to your complexion. Firstly, splash some warm water onto your face and squeeze a pea sized amount of your facial cleanser onto your fingertips. Massage the cleanser into your face for 30 seconds and rinse off will cool water to close up your pores and prevent dirt from getting in. Sweep some toner across your T-Zone and then gently rub in some brightening tinted moisturizer. Not only will this bring some color into your cheeks, but it will also mask your inevitable tiredness. Brush on a small powdered highlighter onto your cheeks and you are ready to conquer the day in five minutes flat! On a day where you find yourself with some extra time to spare, consider using an exfoliator or treatment mask to freshen up your complexion even further.

The Magic of Movement

You mourn over the photographs of your beautiful bikini body that you had before your baby arrived. You feel downhearted at the way your body looks after giving birth and you feel defeated at the thought of never feeling sexy again. The truth is that your body is absolutely magical. You carried a child and gave birth to a tiny human, which you should never forget. We are often forced to look at skinny celebrities who managed to lose all of their baby weight in the blink of an eye; this simply isn’t realistic. Stop beating yourself up and make small, manageable goals for yourself. It is important to let your body rest and recover after giving birth so don’t jump straight back into a full forced gym routine straight away. Consider some calm and soothing yoga sessions, which can be done in the comfort of your own home. This will strengthen up your core and allow your body to gradually get back into a routine of moving each day. Head out in the fresh air once a day and take a walk in the park. You will soon feel more confident in your post-baby body once you start moving again.

So free your mind of the negative thoughts that consume you and learn to love yourself again. From quick cleansing to calming yoga you can care for yourself and your baby without feeling guilty.