This post is brought to you by a Healthy Slice partner.

Slap your leg. Initially it sounds like punishment, doesn’t it? Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Months ago, our pastor gave a sermon entitled Don’t Skip Dessert. The underlying message about the damage of consistent deprivation really resonated with me. Then, the other day, while folding my umpteenth mountain of laundry, my mind wandered to you, my fellow moms, and actually, all women. I thought about how much we give to our families, our friends, and our communities, very often without asking for anything in return. This kind of selflessness is a beautiful thing, but without recognition of our hard work, it’s no wonder that eventually we burn out.

It sneaks up on us, but one day BOOM, there we are, left wondering why we feel like we are just DONE with everything and how long it would take for someone to notice is we just stopped. The frustration of waiting for someone to notice and appreciate what we do can feel immense at times. And while it’s true that external validation can do wonders (many thanks to David for being my #1 cheerleader), why are we forsaking the idea of recognizing, rewarding, and taking care of ourselves?

We, as women, somewhere along the way started to assume that giving ourselves a pat on the back is wrong. I’m here to tell you it’s not. You deserve to give yourself credit for all you do. We shouldn’t be stuck waiting for someone else to recognize it for us. When we fail to celebrate our small victories, whether it be knocking a work project out of the park or getting two kids to bed at night on your own, we’re doing ourselves a disservice. If we learn to treat ourselves along them way with a little deserved appreciation, we’ll be much more likely to make it through the ups and downs of our weeks.

It doesn’t have to be excessive, but we need to start getting comfortable with high-fiving ourselves for the less-noticed but still important tasks we do. However, since giving yourself a high-five is downright awkward (trust me, I’ve tried it), a little slap on the side of your leg after you handle that toddler time out or annoying coworker like a BOSS works well to say good job self, keep it up! 

And while a leg slap may work best throughout the day, we don’t have to limit it to just that. May I suggest treating yourself in other small ways? Maybe splurging on the fancy tea and enjoying it in the quiet of the morning. Perhaps a hot bath and a good book in the evening. Or maybe a monthly pedicure. Personally, one of my favorite ways to slap my leg comes in the middle of the day.

I like to give myself a little break when the girls go down for their quiet time. A real break, not a “yay I can fold laundry and clean in silence” break. Reaching quiet time means we’ve made it through breakfast, morning activities and lunch… and survived (only half kidding). This may not sound like much to some but my other moms know how much we give through those hours- the meal prep, the clean up, the dressing, the subsequent outfit changes, the car loading, the lesson teaching, the boo boo kissing, the sibling squabbles, the diaper changes, the being pulled on, and the endless maaaamaaaaa’s… all before noon. It can leave me feeling drained some days, but instead of just forging ahead, I’m learning to be a little kinder to myself. I kick my feet up, take a deep breath and unwrap a dark chocolate Adora.

These things are ridiculously good y’all. Really. The decadent discs are made from organic dark chocolate from Rain Forest Alliance Certified cocoa. If it’s been a particularly trying morning, you can expect to see a scoop on peanut butter piled on my Adora. Take that Reese’s.

These Adora Calcium Supplements are non-GMO and 2 delicious servings (oh twist my arm, I have to eat two?!) contain 100% of your daily recommended calcium.

And calcium is important for us ladies and our bones. Almost as important as taking a breather and celebrating our small daily victories to bring a smile back to our faces.

As women, it’s important we support each other, but let’s not forget to encourage ourselves too. Let’s celebrate our strengths, our efforts, and our accomplishments, both big and small. A full heart and a happy soul will more easily be able to give to those it loves the most. And to me, that sounds like a win/win.

Chat with me!

How do you ‘slap your leg’ when you feel you need a little recognition?

This post is sponsored by my ongoing partnership with Adora Calcium Supplements. I wish I could mail you all one to try because YUM. This (and all opinions) are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the companies that support this space.