When was the last time you had “me-time” and how did you spend that time?
I guess in the traditional sense of “me-time’ I haven’t had any for a long time (especially coming to the end of 6 weeks school holidays with 3 kids at home!) So I have had to sneak just small amounts of time here and there over the last few months. Whether it be a late night Netflix binge, a quick trip to the shops child free, stopping for a coffee on the way home from somewhere… just little simple pleasures.
What are some of your favourite ways to practice self care?
For me self care is made up of a lot of different things throughout the day that bring me joy. I like to look after my skin so when I hop out the shower I start the day by caring for my skin with my favourite products. I absolutely love cooking and baking so being in the kitchen preparing a meal makes me feel happy and relaxed. I love my work so spending some time on the computer replying to emails, planning my content etc… it sparks excitement in me, I don’t feel as though it’s “work” as such.
I also love helping others, I volunteer with a local group helping with their admin, writing grant proposals etc for them… being selfless and seeing how much just offering a few hours of my time can make a difference in the lives of others definitely brings me joy.
What advice would you give to mamas struggling to create “me-time”? How do you make time in your schedule for yourself?
Honestly, I think as mothers we need to succumb to the fact that “me-time” is going to be very minimal when our children are young. It’s just a fact of life. Someone always needs you or something always needs doing. Once you accept this and stop dreaming about day trips to a spa or long weekends away with friends (which of course I hope to do one day!) it becomes a lot easier to appreciate the smaller things as “me-time” and find peace and contentment that way.
~ Stopping for a coffee at a cafe instead of going straight home to housework after school drop off - me time.
~ Doing a gym/dance class for an hour once my husband gets home from work - me time.
~ Going for a walk around the block to have a night off from the bath/book/bed routine - me time.
~ Watching my favourite TV show while sipping on a hot chocolate - me time.
~ Running a hot bath then hopping into bed with fresh sheets, a cup of tea and a good book - me time.
Of course it makes it easier that I can sneak out when my husband gets home and I understand a lot of women don’t have this luxury but I also am never shy of asking people for help when I’m feeling overwhelmed, especially if my husband is away or working long hours. If a school mum offers to pick one of my kids up and have an after school play date - I say yes! If my parents offer to sit at my house for an hour while I nip to the shops child free - I say yes!
My gym has a great creche that I can pop the kids into, my local community centre offers occasional care, my church runs a fantastic kids program - there is lots of ways of still being able to do what you want to do with kids in tow. Do some research about facilities that suit you and your family.