My girlfriend and I were chatting this afternoon as we waited for our daughter’s bus to bring them home from school. During this conversation, my friend was coughing. She’s had a persistent cough for several weeks now. What started out as allergies appear to have escalated into something more and my friend made an appointment with her primary care doctor.

We both commented: isn’t it interesting if how easy it is for moms to delay taking care of their physical ailments or illness’ whereas if it were one of our children, we’d never let something go almost a month before running it by a pediatrician!

I have been guilty of doing this as well, years ago I had a shoulder injury I ignored which eventually was resolved after surgery, two years later!

When you’re a mom, sometimes it seems the easier path to avoid taking care of our physical or emotional needs until we are forced to pay attention to caring for ourselves.

This week begins National Women’s Health Week. National Women’s Health Week is an observance led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. And the goal of the week is to encourage, empower and inspire women to make their health, including physical and mental health, a top priority.

And I know many moms, can relate: we often put our needs low on the priority list. I am a firm supporter of well-being and self-care, especially for moms.

Physical self-care is the foundation of well-being.

Taking care of your physical health is essential to well-being because our body is the foundation from which all else flows. A body that is exhausted, dehydrated, depleted of nutrients and minerals and not fueled by proper energy will not run efficiently. When our body is out of balance, there is a high likelihood of our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors will also be out of balance.

Physical self-care is making sure to get enough sleep, exercise, proper nutrition, and hydration. And, physical self-care is also routinely showering and grooming yourself, consuming caffeine and alcohol within healthy limits, going to medical appointments and following recommended medical care and interventions for health-related issues and concerns.

I want to encourage you to check out the website celebrating National Women’s Health Week. On the site which you can go here, you can find useful information on steps you can take for better health, as well as information on better health by age group with specific information on health in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and so on.

For today, make a commitment to focus on your physical well-being by taking care of any physical issues you’ve been delaying or putting off. Make yourself a priority, like the way you do for your family, and schedule your annual physical, mammogram, dental or any other appointment that supports physical health and well-being.

Your physical health and well-being matter, make yourself a priority!

© Copyright Dr. Claire Nicogossian 2017