I’ll be honest—I used to think self-care had to happen in big, uninterrupted blocks of time.
You know the kind I’m talking about. An hour-long workout, a meal-prepped fridge, a perfectly organized planner, eight hours of sleep, and maybe a quiet morning where nobody needed anything from me.
Then I became a mom.
Suddenly, just getting everyone dressed, fed, and out the door felt like an Olympic event. Taking care of myself kept sliding further and further down the list, and before I knew it, I was running on fumes while convincing myself I’d get back to “me” once life slowed down.
The problem? Motherhood rarely slows down.
That’s why my conversation with wellness coach and personal trainer Sarah Parise resonated so deeply with me. Sarah isn’t asking moms to completely overhaul their lives or find hours they simply don’t have. Instead, she offers something that feels refreshingly realistic: start with just 2% of your day.
When she first said that, I actually paused.
Two percent?
Could something that small really make a difference?
Then she did the math.
Two percent of a 24-hour day is just 28 minutes.
Not two hours.
Not an entire morning.
Twenty-eight minutes.
Suddenly, taking care of myself didn’t feel impossible anymore.
Small Changes Really Do Add Up
One of the biggest misconceptions about wellness is that if we can’t do everything, there’s no point in doing anything.
I’ve definitely fallen into that trap.
If I don’t have time for a full workout, I skip moving altogether. If I can’t prepare healthy meals for the entire week, I grab whatever’s easiest. If I miss a few days of taking care of myself, I convince myself I’ve already failed and promise I’ll “start fresh on Monday.”
Sarah challenged that thinking in such a simple but powerful way.
Those 28 minutes don’t have to happen all at once.
Maybe it’s a ten-minute walk while your kids ride their bikes.
Maybe it’s stretching before bed.
Maybe it’s sitting outside with your coffee instead of immediately reaching for your phone.
Maybe it’s taking a few deep breaths before your feet even hit the floor in the morning.
The goal isn’t perfection.
The goal is consistency.
Because those tiny investments don’t just improve one day—they compound over time.
Moms Deserve Care Too
One part of our conversation that really stayed with me was Sarah’s own story.
Like so many women, she experienced postpartum depression, anxiety, rage, and the overwhelming loss of identity that can come after becoming a mother. As someone who already worked in health and fitness, she assumed she knew how to take care of herself. But motherhood taught her that wellness isn’t just about exercise or nutrition—it’s about learning how to care for yourself in an entirely new season of life.
I think so many of us can relate to that.
We spend our days making sure everyone else has what they need. The kids get their meals. The appointments are scheduled. The laundry gets done. Work deadlines are met. Dinner somehow appears on the table.
By the end of the day, there’s often very little left for us.
The hard part is that after enough time, we start believing that’s just the way motherhood is supposed to feel.
But what if it isn’t?
What if caring for ourselves isn’t selfish at all?
What if it’s actually one of the healthiest things we can model for our children?
Your Kids Are Watching More Than You Think
This was one of my favorite parts of our conversation.
Children don’t just listen to what we say—they watch what we do.
If they see us constantly putting ourselves last, apologizing for resting, skipping meals, and running ourselves into exhaustion, they begin to believe that’s what adulthood looks like.
But imagine if they saw something different.
Imagine they watched us go for a walk because movement makes us feel good.
Imagine they saw us drink water, prepare nourishing meals, laugh with friends, ask for help when we needed it, and protect time for our own mental health.
Those moments teach our children something powerful.
They show them that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish—it’s part of being healthy.
And honestly, I think our kids need that example now more than ever.
Progress Over Perfection
Sarah also reminded me that wellness doesn’t have to look like what we see on social media.
You don’t need a perfectly color-coded meal plan.
You don’t need a two-hour morning routine.
You don’t need to train six days a week.
You don’t need to “bounce back.”
You simply need to take the next small step.
Maybe that’s drinking another glass of water.
Maybe it’s walking around the block.
Maybe it’s going to bed a little earlier.
Maybe it’s finally scheduling that appointment you’ve been putting off.
Those choices may seem insignificant in the moment, but over weeks and months, they begin changing how you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Wellness Should Fit Your Life
One thing I appreciated most about Sarah’s approach is that she doesn’t expect moms to fit into a rigid wellness program. Instead, she encourages women to build routines that work for their actual lives.
Some seasons allow for longer workouts.
Some seasons don’t.
Some mornings you’ll wake up ready to move your body.
Other mornings, getting everyone to school without losing your mind is the biggest win.
Both are okay.
Real wellness isn’t about following someone else’s routine.
It’s about creating habits you can return to again and again, even when life gets messy.
Because let’s be honest—life with kids is almost always a little messy.
You Don’t Have to Wait Until Life Slows Down
If there’s one thing I hope every mom takes away from this conversation, it’s this:
You don’t have to earn the right to take care of yourself.
You don’t have to wait until the kids are older.
You don’t have to wait until work gets less busy.
You don’t have to wait until next Monday.
Your health matters today.
Your mental health matters today.
Your energy matters today.
And those 28 minutes? They aren’t taking anything away from your family.
They’re giving your family a healthier, happier version of you.
A Final Note
Motherhood asks a lot of us.
It stretches us in ways we never expected and teaches us strengths we never knew we had. But somewhere along the way, many of us begin believing that caring for ourselves has to come last.
Sarah reminded me that it doesn’t.
Sometimes transformation doesn’t begin with a giant life overhaul.
Sometimes it begins with 2%.
A short walk.
A nourishing meal.
A few deep breaths.
Twenty-eight intentional minutes that say, “I matter too.”
Because when moms thrive, families thrive.
And that’s exactly the kind of ripple effect we need more of.
Continue Your Journey
📺 Watch the Interview https://youtu.be/HERc0JjnlyA
🎧 Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/11IM9844WPkpdSWE7Yxnxj?si=QqI6yfYzRQaPjINUmzKZbg