In honor of Mother’s Day, we not only want to celebrate the women who give so much to everyone else, but also remind them that their health matters, too. While moms often put their families first, this year NYU Langone-Suffolk is encouraging them to take a moment for self-care, preventative health, and holistic wellness.

Dr. Melissa Fana, the director of Women’s Health for NYU Langone in Suffolk County and renowned breast cancer surgeon at Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Long Island Breast Surgery Associates-Patchogue, shared these five tips for overall women’s health:

1. Schedule that checkup: Annual physicals and age-appropriate screenings (like mammograms and blood pressure checks) are key to staying ahead.

According to Fana, in your 20s-30s, women should be getting their pap smear annually, considering the HPV vaccine, and talking to their gynecologist about their lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. She said she suggests even using a free online calculator to know your risk: https://www.brightpink.org/assess-your-risk.

Then, in your 40s-50s, women, she said, should be scheduling their mammogram for those at average risk. However, those with an increased risk should be scheduling a mammogram at 10 years younger than their youngest affected relative.

“Some women begin screening for breast cancer in their mid 20s to 30s, if they have a significant risk or elevated risk, and they should know that,” she said of the importance of evaluating your risk.

As for being in your 60s and 70s, she said, you should be ready and able to report anything “out of your normal” to your doctor. This includes gaining or losing weight, increasing abdominal girth, which could be an early symptom of ovarian cancer, changes in your bowl habits, night sweats, or any palpable lymph nodes.

“Know your normal and any variant to that normal should be open for discussion with your primary care doctor or gynecologist,” she said.

2. Move a little every day: Whether it’s yoga, walking the dog, or dancing in the kitchen, physical activity boosts mood and energy.

Fana suggests that in addition to getting your water intake, women should move a little every day. She suggests starting this habit as early as your teen years to set yourself up for life. However, she said, it’s never too late to incorporate healthy habits.

“Basic exercise like walking for 25 minutes, two to three times per day, is something anyone can do,” she said.

3. Fuel with purpose: Focus on whole foods, hydration, and balanced meals that energize, not exhaust. She suggests women make an effort to incorporate green leafy veggies and protein while decreasing carbs for a balanced diet.

4. Sleep like it’s sacred: Quality rest helps the body reset and strengthens mental clarity—every mom deserves that! Though it might seem like a luxury, she said, attempting to get at least a regular eight hours of sleep plays a huge role in your overall health.

5. Mental health is health: Therapy, mindfulness, journaling, supporting emotional wellness is as important as any workout.

Fana said women should be taking time for self-care, even if that means walks, dancing, getting their nails done or getting a massage from their partner.

“You don’t have to have money for self-care,” she said, also noting she enjoys dance therapy. “For some reasons, I stopped in my mid-40s and I didn’t realize that was something that was keeping me not just physically, but mentally healthy.”

As caretakers, she said, it’s important for women to incorporate, early on, regular check-ins with themselves.

“ ‘Do I feel good?’ ‘Am I sad?’ “Losing or gaining weight?’” she said. “If there is something going on with your body, we need to know stress-management techniques.”

“Maybe do meditation,” she suggested. “Or breathing techniques.”

The mind, she said, is an organ just like any other organ in the body and it can be affected by stress and mood changes.

Women should be seeking a doctor’s appointment for their mind just like they would for any other part of your body she said.

“It’s important we take the opportunity to celebrate our women and their sacrifices by giving them the biggest gift, which is to pay attention to their overall wellness and health,” she said.