You may think it’s more important to tend constantly to the needs of other people rather than yourself. This appears at first glance to be the selfless, even saintly, way to behave. Aren’t mothers supposed to put the needs of their family first?

The truth of the matter is that you will be more “response-able” to the needs of your family by protecting the bit of space you need to refill. The only real alternative is to run out of energy and your ability to respond after being on call 24/7. It may take a while, but a crash will happen eventually unless you take positive action now.

If taking care of yourself seems foreign, think about this for a moment. You are a primary role model for your children’s lives. They will copy your actions more often than follow your advice. Many a mom has shed tears after becoming aware of the lack of self care they modeled during their children’s formative years. You love your children and want to do right by them. Therefore, you need to show them how to take care of themselves by taking care of you! This will increase their capacity to be healthy, well balanced adults.

Yes, meditation is proven to be a highly effective tool for reducing stress and increasing health, but there are thousands of other ways to take ten minutes for you. The important thing is to make a commitment to yourself and follow through with it daily. You could go for a walk, listen to some favorite music, take a bath, sit in the car (as long as you’re not driving!), look at a beautiful painting or view, or savor a cup of coffee or tea all by yourself.

If you are with your children 24/7, please consider creative ways to take an hour or so each week away from your family. The “Mommy Brain” is constantly on duty, even when we’re not next to our children, but a little distance can open up space in our minds and decompress our bodies in a very healing way. Oddly, having time away can open up our hearts to our loved ones and help us appreciate the most important people in our lives even more.

When your inner self begins to realize that you are consistently taking a little bit of time and space for yourself, you are likely to find your overall mood and body image improving. There is something extraordinarily healing about saying that it is O.K. to take up some room in the world, that it is O.K. to be. This simple act can create a positive upward spiral into a healthier sense of well-being. Therefore, taking time for yourself is a proactive way to become a healthier, better adjusted, more response-able human being, mother and partner.