Strong me = strong family 'It all starts with me!'

I am what they call a ‘modern woman’. Educated, economically and socially independent, a working mother of two grown-up boys. Just like you, I have had my fair share of upheavals, fights, challenges, good and bad days – and the one thing that has helped me sustain it all with dignity and a large amount of élan has been my unsurmountable energy levels and a zeal for life.

I seldom feel down and out. Perhaps my genes have a role to play in there but the bigger factor is that I learnt, very early on, that I can keep the people I love happy only if I feel well, cheerful and upbeat within. When I look at my friends around, I feel that we women often feel guilty if we put ourselves ahead of our husbands, children, in-laws, parents or at times even friends. If we sleep in late or indulge ourselves with something (that we’ve cooked only because we like it), that tinge of guilt gets the better of us… no?

I am truly blessed to be my mother’s daughter who has mentored and guided me through various stages of my life. When I turned 30, I remember my mother sat me down and explained how my own health would need to take priority over everything else. She told me the importance of looking and feeling beautiful and gearing myself up both physically and mentally in every which way possible… for how can I look after the people dependent on me if I am not healthy enough to discharge my duties to the best of my abilities.

Then came the eye opener… I started getting persistent backaches; my days wouldn’t start and end like I would plan them anymore. The urge to lie down was persistent too. When our husbands or children fall sick, the obvious thing for us is to take off work and keep everything else, including our sleep, on the back burner and immerse ourselves into looking after the family – but when we fall sick, things do go awry. My being on the bed had me worried sick about everything – and I mean everything going on with my family and the house! And so my faith was reaffirmed in the fact that I can’t afford to be laid up in bed ever. All that discomfort made me think… I was surprised that I had never really thought of my bones. Skin, yes! Hair, yes! Weight, oh yes! But not bone health. Now I most definitely do, in fact on an everyday basis. I simply cannot take my health for granted… so thereon every time I got my boys to eat healthy and get their daily intake of vitamins, I too made it a point to get my daily bit of calcium – a habit that had stood me in good stead!

Juggling between home, work, a hectic social life and my passions (I love golf and writing) is a challenge I enjoy to the hilt. Frankly, I am quite perky amidst all this running around, meeting deadlines, not knowing when the day starts and ends – and take a lot of pride in not only doing it all but doing it well. I actually manage to do more than all of my family put together! For instance, when the four of us (my husband, the boys and me) get back after a game of golf, even as they plonk themselves on the bed, exhausted after an 8 km walk in the heat, I am up and about, taking the dog out, putting the house in order, organising the next meal and taking care of the list that never ends. Most moms out there would relate to this list!

So how do I manage it all? I would say “listen to your body” and give it the nutrition it needs, especially calcium.  I have realised now what my mother used to tell me; I need to stay active, fit and happy for the people who matter to me – and for myself too. As on date, if want to take off for a couple of days with friends I do; if I want to go out in the evening to unwind, I do; if I am asked to travel for work, I do so guiltlessly and without that “Oh my god, one more thing to plan or do!”

I say this purely from personal experience, nobody can look after you better than yourself. Enjoy being a woman, take pride in being you, look after yourself because each of us are so very worth it.

So that’s Saguna sharing her life hacks on being a proactive mom and an upbeat woman – What about you? How do you keep yourself pepped up? Do write in (comments section below) and inspire other women to do more and be more.

Disclaimer : This is a special initiative by Women's Horlicks. Women's Horlicks supports women over 30 to educate them about importance of bone health.