Self-care is essential for your mental and physical health

I don’t know about you but when things get really hectic I absolutely need some downtime to refuel! I’m always encouraging our dandelion community to take some time out for you because frankly we all need a little break from time to time.  Juggling a family, work, a business, parents, kids, in-laws, husband, partner, etc., takes a lot of energy and I promise you that if you take care of you – you’ll have more to give others!

“Maintaining the basic day-to-day with no extraordinary circumstances, keeping all those balls in the air, is a really demanding endeavor, and it leaves very little time for moms to be able to have fun, relax, rest and have downtime,” says Aimee Danielson, director of the Women’s Mental Health Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in the District.

Maybe you are thinking to yourself, but I have no time to take some time out for yourself?!  I get it – I’ve run myself ragged without listening to signs my body was giving me and ended up in the hospital!  Not good.   I’ve been much better about making sure I am taking some time out for myself and try to get a walk in each day.  It helps center me for the day and I look forward to spending this time out in nature with my favorite puppy.

Danielson says that the times when parents need self-care the most — maybe they’re experiencing a spouse’s deployment, a death, a divorce — are often when it slips. “When you add that additional component . . . the account runs down to zero, and then there’s nothing there. That puts women at risk for developing mental-health issues: depression, anxiety, insomnia.” (Source: Washington Post).

What are things you do for yourself to refuel? Two of my favorite ways to decompress are to take nature walks with my dog and to catch up on a movie I’ve wanted to see – by myself.   Movies Anywhere brings together movies from Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Studios (encompassing Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros Entertainment, offering a library of nearly 7,500 movies!  You’ll be able to catch some classics like Gone With The Wind or a comedy like Bridesmaids.

Participating digital retailers are Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu, and FandangoNOW.  Movies Anywhere is easy to use and convenient for busy moms like us. So grab your favorite robe and slippers, and snacks and take some mom time for you!  Read more about how easy it is to access over 7,000 titles with Movies Anywhere here.

You will need for your night in:

Comfy Robe

Slippers

Snacks

Beverages

Female empowerment films that always put you in a good mood

Thanks to Movies Anywhere for giving me a free movie night kit to host my own in-home movie night. All opinions are my own.

Which movie would you like to see for your Just For Me night in?