The trenches of motherhood—I’m there. I understand sleepless nights when the baby is teething and crying all night long, and the second you finally get him to sleep, and crawl into your own bed, your toddler wakes up crying from a bad dream.

I get days when you don’t brush you teeth because quite frankly, there were a million other more pressing things, like changing a blowout diaper or passing out fishy crackers, and then vacuuming crushed fishy crackers from the carpet. Motherhood is hard and comes with very little recognition, but it is also amazing when your baby smiles, I mean really smiles at you for the first time because he knows you’re his mama.

When you’re in the trenches of motherhood, self-care is vital. It will save your sanity and give you the strength to mom on. If you’re not already making these self-care strategies part of your routine, now’s a perfect time to start.

5 Self-Care Secrets That Will Save You While in the Trenches of Motherhood

1. Proper Nutrition

Whatever you put inside your body directly affects the way you feel. Period. As tempting as it is to get a quick spike of energy from a candy bar or soda, you’re much better off sticking to proper nutrition and upping your water intake. Plenty of fruits and veggies will give you the natural vitamins and minerals your body needs to tackle each day. Nuts like cashews, raw almonds, and pistachios are a perfect snack and will give you a protein boost.

My favorite way to get a punch of nutrients and protein in one yummy snack is my famous green shake. I’ll have one for breakfast or lunch and stay full and energized for hours. Try this delicious shake to set your day off on the right foot

Famous Green Shake Recipe:

• 12-14oz of water
• 2 big handfuls of organic spinach
• 3/4 C wild blueberries
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1 scoop Lean
• 1 scoop Recover
• Ice

I call it my “green shake” because of all the organic spinach in it, but the blueberries will actually turn the shake a brilliant shade of purple! Blend all the ingredients together in your blender and enjoy!  I blend mine up in a Blendtec.

2. Take Time To Exercise

If there is one thing you should never, ever stop doing, it’s exercise. No matter what type you prefer, make exercise a habit. Don’t use the “business” of motherhood as an excuse to skip a workout. Only you can make it happen. Moms who exercise regularly are happier (thank you endorphins!), healthier (exercise does wonders for your heart, brain, skin, bones, and muscles), and have more energy to help them get through the day.

Weight training is one of the most effective activities you can do to boost your metabolism, lose weight, and increase strength and muscle tone, especially as you age. After gaining over 50 pounds with my third baby, I lost 26 pounds with the Ladyboss trainer. It’s basically like having a personal trainer on your phone who walks you through a weight lifting routine each day. It’s great for people like me who don’t always know what to do when they get to the weight room.

One thing I love about Ladyboss is that everything is right on your phone. Daily gym workouts, resistance training to do at home if you can’t make it to the gym that day, meal suggestions, and grocery lists. Literally everything you need at your fingertips to live a healthy lifestyle.

Catch our body transformations in our weight loss Facebook group. (It’s private, but just request to join and we’ll let you in!)

3. Nourish Your Natural Beauty

There’s just something about pampering yourself that makes all of those dirty diapers and mommy-sacrifices worth it. One of the greatest things you can do for yourself and your skin is an at-home facial. Let’s face it, moms rarely have the time to go to the spa, but here are some things of the top self-care treatments you can do at home to feel papered and nourish your natural beauty:

• Do an exfoliating mask. This Aztec mask is amazing. I rave about it all the time and with over 16,000 reviews, I’m not the only one.
• Take care of your skin now. Start now with daily SPF, and anti-aging serums and moisturizers. The best thing I did in my late 20s was start a consistent skincare routine.
• Give yourself an at-home manicure. My hair can be thrown in a top-bun and I can have zero makeup on, but if my nails are done, all is right in the world. Cute nails make you feel good and sometimes that small detail is a big deal. These new nail dashes are so much fun and so low-maintenance.

4. Feed Your Passion

When you become a mom, it’s easy to push aside passions you had before motherhood. Moms put everyone else first and tuck away those dreams they had of starting a business, running a marathon, or writing a novel. The result is that feeling that every mom has felt—that feeling of “losing yourself.”

One big secret that will save you while in the trenches of motherhood is to feed your passion. Moms who don’t end up feeling lost, unhappy, or like they’ve missed out on life. No matter what your passion is: running, reading, yoga, traveling, etc., create a space for it in your life.

5. Experience Daily Silence

Quiet moments are few and far between when you’re a mom. Even the bathroom isn’t a safe place! Kids will find you wherever you are and that’s why it’s important to not only carve out a little time for silence, but to also recognize and relish that silence when it happens.

Take a few minutes each day to be quiet—write in a journal, meditate, pray, or just take a drive alone. The silence can be therapeutic, even if it is fleeting. I like to find the cleanest room in my house (#momlife) and use a meditation app called “headspace” to bring focus and center myself while the baby naps or at the end of the day.

Mothers, your job is the most important in the world and your family depends on you to be healthy, happy, and strong. You are beautiful, you are amazing. You got this mama!