Self-care looks different as a mom — something Mandy Moore is all too familiar with. The This is Us star recently opened up about how motherhood has changed her life in a new cover story with Health, on sale Feb. 11.
The actress and singer shares August, who turns 1 on Feb. 23, with husband Taylor Goldsmith. In the interview, she talked about how her wellness routine has changed since becoming a mom.
“Right now, it’s about having grace—being easy on myself when being able to practice self-care doesn’t feel as available and accessible to me,” Moore said. I think that’s something all parents can relate to, no matter how old your kids are!
She added that doing good things for herself was actually easier during pregnancy. “It was so much easier when I was pregnant, to find the time to take care of myself,” she explained. “I was at the chiropractor. I was at acupuncture weekly. I had prenatal massages. And then as soon as baby arrives, all of that pretty much goes out the window. And it’s such a bummer because I feel like I wish I could find the time to sort of incorporate some of those practices again, because they felt so good. But it’s not feasible and so, again, I try not to get down on myself about it.” What a good attitude to have. Things are changing constantly as a parent, so it’s important to go with the flow and focus on what you do have time for.
“If I do have free time and I’m not working, I’d much rather go on a walk with Gus than rush off to go get a facial,” Moore said. “However, that’s not to diminish how important that stuff is, too. I feel like I’m just constantly walking that tightrope of what is going to suit me best today.”
Moore knows that taking care of herself is important, which is why she does try to do self-care after the baby is asleep. “Putting on a podcast or a jazz record, lighting a candle, getting into a bath by myself once the baby is down—that is the easiest way to decompress,” she said.
In the interview, Moore also shared that while motherhood is “overwhelming,” she is doing her best to adapt to the changes.
“Every day is different,” she said about motherhood. “It is overwhelming on a level that I never expected. All of the clichés are true. The love is so immediate. In the very beginning it was like, ‘Oh, you’re nursing. The baby’s sleeping.’ You figure out your routine. Then maybe three months in felt like, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t have the skill set for this. Maybe I’m not a good mother.’ I questioned everything.”
Moore was even jealous of Goldsmith during this time. “I looked at my husband, who seemed so at ease—it was so natural for him,” she explained. “I felt bad about myself and what I brought to the table as a mom. And it made me question everything. And I was like, ‘Is this feeling going to last forever? Am I just going to feel unworthy, unprepared? Is this just the foreseeable future?’ And a week later, I found my equilibrium again. I remember people telling me that everything is a phase and not to get too set in your ways about anything—and it’s true.”
This is such a refreshing, honest take about parenting. Remembering that everything is a phase will help parents out through the years, no matter how old their kids are!
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