Tamera Mowry-Housley Shares the ‘Momtras’ She Created That Help Her Thrive and Kick Mom Guilt to the Curb

Tamera Mowry-Housley is a multifaceted individual, with numerous accomplishments under her belt. She is an actress, Daytime-Emmy-winning host of The Real, and the author of You Should Sit Down For This. But above all, Tamera is a sister, twin, auntie, wife and mother.

And these days, Mowry-Housley is deeply immersed in motherhood—in more ways than one. Mowry-Housley is partnering with belVita Breakfast Biscuits to help moms "Rise & Thrive." Her latest role in Hallmark's Dream Moms, premiering on May 13, sees her portraying a mother who pursues her dream of being a stage performer. As a mother of two children, 10-year-old Aden (soon to be 11) and 7-year-old Ariah, Tamera knows firsthand the challenges of being a busy mother both on- and off-screen.

“I’ve partnered with belVita to just encourage and inspire moms to let them know that it is okay to take a moment for yourself every morning, not just on, you know, Mother's Day. You can do it all year long, selfishly,” she tells Parade.

Related: Mother’s Day 2023: Discounts, Deals and Freebies Moms Can Take Advantage Of

The word "selfish" may startle moms because being a mother often means putting the needs of others before your own. However, if there's one thing we can learn from Mowry-Housley, it's the importance of finding a balance between caring for your little ones and taking care of yourself. As a working mom, it can feel almost impossible to carve out time for yourself.

That being said, it's not uncommon for mom guilt to creep up. That's one thing that's so relatable: even with the best of intentions, moms can feel guilty for taking time for themselves or pursuing their own goals.

Related: 75 Inspiring Quotes About Motherhood and Being a Mom

What advice would you give moms who are dealing with mom guilt by taking time for themselves?

It is hard. I mean, I feel like women in general, we innately always want to help others before we help ourselves. But self-care isn't selfish. It's actually a necessity because if you take care of yourself, you are a better friend, a better sister or better mom. You can't truly thrive if you're depleted.

So you have to always remember to fill that cup. I also created some mantras just to inspire moms out there to maybe, you know, spread, spread that love, spread that wisdom. Because once I became a mom, I realized the importance of community. And it does take a village. And one of those mantras is taking care of yourself, actually, is taking care of others.

So whenever you have those guilty thoughts, just know that that's not the truth. It's okay to prioritize. You know yourself for a moment. That's all. That's all we're asking for a moment.

Related: 13 Ways To Be a Good Mom That Make a Lasting Difference, According to Experts

Tell us more about the mom-tras that help you thrive—how did you create them?

I've been a mom for about ten years, and I learned through trial and error and, you know, personal experience. So I mentioned one: taking care of yourself is taking care of others. [And] it's okay to give yourself a moment. It's also- and I got this mantra from actually helping my son- I always say, "Aden, it's okay to restart your day."

You know, it is. We can create a new day. And that's one of my mantras. It's okay to restart your day the right way. And also, I always say, "A little kindness, a little bit of goodness." It goes a long way because you never know what people are going through. Even moms. I feel like we're always, you know, putting on that brave, strong, you know, faith—when in reality, we all know it's not easy.

Related: 120 Mom Jokes That Are Sure To Make Your Mama Smile

How are you celebrating Mother's Day this year? What are some of your favorite traditions? Activities?

I know moms in general, when I speak to, you know, my mommy friends, our number one thing is we just want to sleep in because we hardly ever sleep. And so on Mother's Day, that is what I like to do. I just like to sleep in, have a woo-sah kind of moment to myself. They'll make me breakfast in bed. My husband, my kids, they've been doing that collectively for, I would say for about two or three years now. So I really look forward to it.

Related: Love You, Mom! 125 Quotes About Mothers and Daughters That Will Warm Your Heart

So, I see that your family plays these really fun games. My favorite was the Oreo Roll Roulette.

Love that. I have to say, I went to the Little Mermaid premiere [this week] and I saw Anika and she was in front of us. And I was like, all right, that's Princess Tiana. She, like, freaked out. And the first thing she said was, "I loved your Oreo challenge." I thought that was so cool. I was like, "Oh my gosh, that's sweet."

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May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. And you previously shared that you suffered from horrible anxiety. How have you learned to cope with these challenges and what advice would you give others who may be going through similar experiences?

I mean, I think one of the main things we have to realize—and I learned this from a psychologist and just a nurse in general— is our bodies cannot function with, like, spastic-like moments if we allow ourselves to breathe. So breathing and freaking out can't happen at the same time.

So, when you allow yourself to become a present—because a lot of the time anxiety is thinking of the "what ifs," right? Or, what happened in the past. Is it going to happen again? It's never truly living in that, in the moment—so, when you allow yourself to breathe and live in the moment, you'll realize the thoughts and your body starts to just calm down a bit.

And then make sure you have a great support system that understands you and understands what you're going through.

Related: 55+ Mom Memes for Mother's Day That Are Almost Too Relatable

And speaking of support, tell us more about your partnership with belVita.

I’ve partnered with belVita to just encourage and inspire moms to let them know that it is okay to take a moment for yourself every morning, not just on, you know, Mother's Day. You can do it all year long, selfishly.

It’s doable, even if it’s just a couple of minutes. I have developed a routine. It works out perfectly for me. I [get] to have my coffee in the morning—I still have my coffee. I have to dip something in my coffee every single time. And my Belvita breakfast biscuits are the best—I have been enjoying them, oh geez, over ten years!

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Moms who are interested in learning more about Mowry-Housley's partnership with belVita can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win an ultimate at-home coffee bar package, curated by Tamera herself.

Next up, Jewelry, Beauty Products and More! 65 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for the Hard-to-Buy-for Mom