Looking After Myself Too…

Learning to Look After Myself Too

For a long time, I didn’t really think about myself. My focus was always on getting through the day, doing what needed to be done, and making sure everyone else was okay.

As a mum to a child with a rare medical condition, that felt normal. My daughter’s needs always came first, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But over time, I started to notice something, when I wasn’t looking after myself, everything became harder.

There were days when I pushed myself too much and ended up unwell. Days when I felt physically drained and struggled to be there for my daughter in the way she needed me to be. That’s when it really hit me, the day she needed her medication through the vein and I struggled to put the needle in and it hit me if I wasn’t well, I couldn’t care for her properly.

That realisation was uncomfortable, but it was also necessary.

I slowly began to change the way I looked at self-care. Not as something extra or selfish, but as something essential. Looking after my health, my mind, and my energy meant I could show up better, not just for myself, but for my daughter too.

I started finding comfort in small, everyday things. Keeping my home calm. Creating simple routines. Taking a moment to breathe when things felt overwhelming. None of it was dramatic, but it made a difference.

Some days, self-care looks like getting things done. Other days, it looks like resting and listening to my body. I’m learning that both are okay.

This journey has taught me that being strong doesn’t mean doing everything alone or pushing through exhaustion. Sometimes, strength is knowing when to slow down.

This space is about real life, the good days, the hard ones, and everything in between. If you’re a parent carrying a lot, especially a medical parent, I see you. You’re doing your best, and that is enough.

With love,
Saima