Monday is Meant for Moms: Creating a Weekly Ritual That Feeds You Too

I remember one year ago, I was begging for a break. I was begging for my life to reciprocate all of the good I had cultivated over the years. I wondered why I felt so drained and so frustrated. Was I angry, sad, or just plain tired? Had I given everything to those around me and nothing to myself? Yes—and more yes.

But where could I even begin? I had dug myself into this hole of altruism that looked great on paper but did not cultivate a life I was in love with. I felt like I needed a reset, but how do you even do that as a mom, wife, and career woman?

It’s not easy, because everyone and everything demands so much of your time and energy, all the time. However, I decided that I needed to change. Then everything around me would ultimately begin to change.

I started slowly by decreasing my time at work and restructuring my schedule so that I could have Mondays off. At first, it just became my time to run errands I had put off over the weekend or tackle my never-ending to-do list. Eventually, I realized this wouldn’t be sustainable.

Finally, I got into a rhythm. I began to rest more, drink a matcha if I wanted, move my body, treat myself, ask my husband to cook, or have someone else handle kid pickup. This changed my life.

I started asking the universe for small gifts each week until it became a mantra: MomDay. I coined the term and made it a mission to pour into myself one day a week so I could be everything I needed to be for everyone else on the other days.

It doesn’t mean I’m completely off the grid on Mondays or that I can’t do some of the things I usually would. It just means that self-care became the priority.

I ditched my old way of thinking—the one that was burning me out and found a more sustainable rhythm. One that allows me to show up fully in this season of my life, where I’m called to be more present, intentional, and grounded.

Challenge yourself this week: What is one thing you can do to infuse self-care into your day or week? It doesn’t have to be Monday or the start of your week. But how can you show up for the woman who shows up for everyone else, even if it’s just for 10 minutes to an hour?