We asked mama of three, yogi and superfoodie, Sophie Jaffe to share a bit of advice for parents out there as we begin an unusual summer. Her tips on self-care, life balance and emotional health make a great read — littles or no…
This summer feels different. After a summer of Zoom parties, indoor games, backyard obstacle courses, and getting creative with your littles, all while balancing working from home, I am so grateful for the return to life outside. For reuniting with friends and family, for hosting safe gatherings and most of all, travel!
As we are head into a summer of activity, adventure, and so much fun and celebration, it’s important to remember how to balance it all.
It can be a shock to the system to return to a regular social calendar and our body might not feel ready for it. We need to remember to be gentle during this period of transition. To have grace during stress and to be able to say no to the things that don’t serve our highest truth.
Motherhood is a balance even within itself. It calls forth the deepest of physical and emotional energy — energy you didn’t even know you had within you. Your children can fill you up with the most sincere, unconditional love and pure joy, but also take everything from you: patience, safety, love, compassion, entertainment and lots and lots of snacks.
Summer is a highly charged season for any mama and during this period of transition and return to routine our nerves may be on high alert. During a season when self-care and self-nourishment is needed most we often forget to prioritize time to take care of YOU! Let’s keep our families safe, enjoy this sacred time with your kids, and not lose the teachings from spending a summer indoors…
7 Tips for Keeping Your Cool for Moms + Kids This Summer
01 TEND TO YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM | It’s easy to push through or ignore your stress. Stress often pops up when our lives are feeling very full and we have a ton to do.
Learn to recognize your body’s responses to stress and tap into your intuition to understand what’s happening and what you need most. Do you get angry? Do you tune out? Do you binge? Does your body tense up? Do you get tired easily? Learning to recognize your stress is essential to tending to and lowering your stress.
02 EAT YOUR SUPERFOODS | The food we eat is our first form of defense, medicine and support. When you choose whole, real foods you are supporting your whole health.
Not only that but food is the heart of gathering. You share conversations over food. You share love over food. A meal is so much more beautiful when my kids and I all take part in creating it. Our dinners were so treasured last summer and this summer we’ll be making it a point to keep dinners more sacred. No screen time or work at the table and more meals we all get to take part in whether it’s homemade pizza or superfood popsicles for dessert.
To make sure your body is receiving all of the nourishment it needs to keep you free from sickness and GLOWING, make it a daily ritual this summer to whip up an energizing smoothie filled with fruits & veggies, superfoods, and coconut water or nut mylks.
03 BREATHWORK | As a mama of 3 kiddos using breathwork practices has helped slow a lot of high emotions from escalating. During any sort of pranayama technique, I focus on negative emotions and the physical sensation, which helps to calm the nervous system and rewire the brain to respond in healthier ways. It has the power to restore the body’s balance of energy.
Try these two practices for mamas and, especially, your kiddos:
Butterfly Breath: You sit in a comfortable seated position and cross your arms over your chest then begin to pat your hands on your shoulders and inhale then look to the left as you exhale. Inhale back at the center and exhale to your right. Repeat as often as you need.
5-Finger Breathing Practice: Spread your hand and stretch your fingers out. You can choose your left hand or your right hand. Pretend the pointer finger of your other hand is a pencil and imagine you are going to trace around the outline of your hand and fingers. Place your pointer finger at the bottom of your thumb, and breathe in as you slide up. Breathe out as you slide down. Breathe in as you slide up your second finger, and breathe out as you slide down. Keep going until you have finished tracing your fingers and you have taken five slow breaths.
04 BALANCE FAMILY TIME, SOCIAL TIME AND SOLO TIME | 2020 brought such beautiful, treasured moments with my children. I found a love in embracing presence with my kids.
How to embrace moments with them? I get silly. We dance in the living room. We play make-believe or we tell stories, create art or yoga play. Simple as BE-ing.
This summer I’m choosing to balance this beautiful family time with time reuniting with friends and my chosen family, and most importantly, time with myself! Go out to dinner with your girlfriends or invite them over for dinner and drinks. Book a workout class for yourself (who else missed these as much as I did!) or treat yourself to a spa treatment.
05 CHALLENGE YOUR GROWTH + STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE | By getting away from our comfort zones, from the things that let us stay stagnant, the things we hide behind to not make shifts we step into our transformation. It’s where the magic happens.
Let this summer be one of growth and expansion. Try things you’ve never done but always wanted to. Make it a summer of creating in the kitchen with superfoods, adaptogens, fresh fruits and vegetables. Explore a new hobby. Try a new workout.
Expansion comes when we’re honoring the discomfort. Sitting in the change, staying still and pausing even when you don’t always want to. Keep doing the deep work and continuing to show up for yourself. For the next best version of you!
06 BOOST YOUR WATER | You’ve heard it said 50 million times before but drink your water! Hydration keeps us well-balanced and overflowing with energy. I love to elevate my water on the daily with the detoxifying power of concentrated liquid chlorophyll. When you harness the power of plants you provide your body with vibrant skin, optimal digestion, a strong gut, and immunity.
07 KEEP YOUR RITUALs + ROUTINES INTACT | Rituals and routines give us and our kiddos stability. Every family’s schedule looks different, but you can use small activities throughout the day to anchor your kids. Our boys are involved in a TON of extracurricular activities whether it’s a weekly book club over zoom, dance lessons, piano lessons or skateboarding. We love summer camps in this family and it helps give mom and dad more time in the day to get work done! If camp is not an option, you can make a certain block of time each afternoon playtime outside and mornings are for puzzles or games. Brainstorm activity ideas with your kids and get them excited for everything they’ll get to do!
