Ep. 156 | Choosing Self-Love for Health This Mother's Day
May 05, 2026
Tired. Stressed. Anxious. Busy. Frazzled. Worn Out…Do any of these words describe you? If so, I want to talk to you today. I want to tell you something important… to celebrate YOU and to honor YOU. Whether you are a mother, a grandma, a great grandma, or a caregiver to a loved one, this is for you.
In this episode, I’ll address a common issue that I see many women face when they are in nurturing and caregiving roles. I’ll also share with you a critical step we ALL need to take – if we really want to be able to be more present and to be available to give more to those we love around us. And even if you are a male listener, tune in too, as this will help you better understand and help the women you love around you. Let’s all take a moment to pause, breathe and reflect together. Get into a comfortable chair with a warm cup of tea and join me now!
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Lately, there's something I've been noticing more in myself and in the women I work and interact with. As women, we often place ourselves into roles and positions in life that involve caring for others. We could be caring for our own children, teaching children in a school, loving babies in the nursery, helping patients in the hospital, serving within a church, or helping in some other ministry setting.
And these nurturing and caring responsibilities don't seem to stop. They tend to carry forward even after retirement or after our own children have grown up and long left the nest. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about here. Our children get married and they start building families. Then if you live close enough, we can get called in for 'grandma duty.'
There may be weekly babysitting shifts, coverage for holidays for your daughter and husband to go away, or you may be needed to drive a grandchild to and from an afterschool activity. Sometimes there may even be regular weekend commitments for swimming, hockey, soccer, or another sport. Either way, it feels like you are always the first emergency responder called in to help out with grandkids if there is a sudden situation.
And even if there aren't any grandkids yet, you might be called on to pet sit or your days may be filled with caregiving for an aging parent or spouse with health issues or dementia. Is this what your life and schedule currently look like?
I think by nature we women truly want to help and care for others, and many of us have been gifted with the capacity to do so. Not just for our own families, but for others around us too, whether it might be for a neighbor, stranger, or friend in need. But there's a key danger that can come from having all these commitments and being so busy all the time. We can become so ' others-focused' in our private and public lives that at the end of the day, there's hardly any 'me-time' left.
There's no time to physically rest, recharge, or refresh ourselves so we can keep going. And there could be so much going on around us that we end up being in survival mode all the time, without much space and time to pause, stop or truly rest. It's not surprising then to find our bodies gradually wear down, mental clarity starts to suffer.
Our nerves get frazzled, and we feel exhausted and tired all the time. And since we're just trying to survive, we don't have the energy or even mental capacity to take any active steps forward to begin building better plant-powered health.
But Friend, if we keep going on like this, we will soon hit rock bottom. We'll end up burning out and getting burnt out. Then there will be nothing left to give to others. It is like constantly pouring out lemonade from a pitcher to fill the cups of others. We can't expect that pitcher to keep on pouring if it isn't being replenished regularly. At some point, that pitcher will run bone dry. Just like how we get burnt out and worn out.
There's nothing left to give. Then we end up making poor food choices and reacting in ways we may not be as proud of later. I am definitely guilty of this. But as mothers, grandmothers, and carers to others, we know we need to be able to continue to give to others in the roles we have been placed in, in the seasons of life we are in.
So, here's what we need to do instead. We absolutely need to stay mindful of what we need in order to stay balanced and replenished, so we can keep on giving to those around us and giving well. We need to be intentional about scheduling in downtime into the days of each week, to recharge, reset, and even to mentally rest. This self-love and self-awareness is so important and it's not selfish.
When you take time out, even if it is just a 10-minute pause or break in activities, it is something positive and restoring you are doing, not just for yourself, but also for those around you. Because after that, you can show up to be a better grandma, mom, or carer. You can be more present for those around you and pour more into their lives. So, it's not selfish, it's self-love. I want you to see these intentional me-time breaks as life giving to yourself and to those you love.
And here's another benefit. As you start to schedule those small me-time moments into your regular schedule, it will open up mental space and energy reserves so that you can begin to take more small plant-powered action steps forward to care for yourself and build better health. And over time, this means a stronger and healthier body that you can enjoy. This will allow you to be there more and for a longer time to care for those you love.
To hear the full Episode, LISTEN HERE.
Episode Highlights & Key Timestamps:
- [2:49] What I’ve been noticing in myself and in the women I interact with
- [3:57] Does your current life and schedule look like this?
- [4:47] A key danger that can result from having too many commitments and overbusyness
- [5:31] The consequences of this lifestyle on our health and wellbeing
- [7:44] What we need to do instead
- [8:58] Another key benefit of scheduling in me-time moments to benefit your health
- [11:25] How you can get customized support to be the best grandma, mom or carer you can be
Friend, if you're struggling right now with trying to build the best health and don't know how to thrive eating plant-based, I want to help. I want to support you so you can be the best grandma or carer you can be. Connect with me at healthnow@plantnourished.com and tell me what your current challenges are in eating plant-based or where you need most support in.
It’s not selfish to invest in yourself and to invest in your health. But doing so will actually allow you to pour more into the lives of those around you, like your family and grandkids for longer. I want to help you enjoy an active plant-powered life with more energy and less disease. So, you can enjoy more of life and the people you love. Let's connect!
Next Steps:
Contact -> healthnow@plantnourished.com
Learn -> www.plantnourished.com
Join -> Plant-Powered Life Transformation Course: www.plantnourished.com/ppltcourse
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Free Resource -> 7 Ways to Test-Drive a Plant-Based Diet: www.plantnourished.com/testdrive
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