Moms take care of family and home, but who takes care of her? If you are a busy mom, you must learn to value yourself as a person and schedule personal time.
Each of us has the capacity to nurture others but that type of care takes its toll.
Think about it like this:
- A car is filled with gas to make it run. Eventually the gas runs out and your car won’t move unless the car is replenished with fuel. The same goes for you. Emotional issues can develop when you don’t take the time to take care of your emotional well-being, not to mention the physical results of emotional neglect.
For me, I enjoy gardening and sewing. I started them about 3
years ago and as an urban girl with no background in either- I found them quite
relaxing and I loved seeing the end result. I took pride in my corn stalks and
when I made a shirt (that looked like a shirt I could wear out in public); I
reveled in the fact that I made them with my own two hands. Both activities
seem totally out of my personality, but I love them and they help nurture my
spirit, my emotional well-being and my creativity as an individual set aside
from mom, wife, employee, friend, sister, daughter; it’s just me!
Here are a few tips to help you fit in much needed “mom”
time.
The thing is, not all of them will work for you. I know a few won’t work
for me, but the idea is to get you think about how you can insert some of “you”
into “your life”. Check them out here:
1. Get up early if you have to. When you have kids, the day begins at a
hurried pace. Once you hit the ground
running, there is no stopping you. Waking
30 minutes to an hour ahead of time means quiet solitude to drink your coffee,
read a book, meditate or listen to music.
(As a non-morning person, I tried this and it doesn’t work for me. Try
it and see if it works for you, if it does, congrats!)
2. Turn ordinary experiences into major events. When you take a bath, add candles, bubble
bath, quiet music and/or an inflatable bath pillow. Your regular bath has now become a spa level
experience. If you watch a movie, turn
out the lights, pop a bag of microwave popcorn and curl up on the couch. (One
thing that I do, is I love going to the movies and I love going to the movies
alone so I go to the second-run theatre which shows movies for discount prices,
and I sneak off you 2 hours and take in a movie. The best part is I get to see
the movies I like without grumbling, convincing or stress).
3. Ask your significant other for help. Kids love their mothers but time spent with
dad is important too. Let them bond with
dad while you go shopping for a new outfit or root around in the garden. Since the time is yours, do whatever you
like. (The point here is when you do get
time alone, I know that cleaning is important, laundry is never done- but in
the grand scheme of things use this time for you and don’t feel guilty for
getting a pedicure or a zumba class or making pottery with the girls.)
4. Use the Boy Scout motto.
Always be prepared and you can spend more time in a relaxed mode. Fix lunches the night before. Iron clothes for the next day and place backpacks
by the front door so kids can grab them on their way out. The fewer things you have to do throughout
the day, the calmer you will be with your family and not experience burnout.
(Prep is always good. Prioritize and anything you can do not rushed and
stress-free is going to help you stay calm and less frantic! For me, I take a
week’s worth of lunches and breakfasts into work at the beginning of the week
and so no matter what, I have something to eat and I am not forced to go out to
fast food, I am not stressed if I leave my lunch at home that day and I have
more control over my time. I bring milk for cereal that I have stashed in my
desk and oatmeal packets and OJ as well.)
5. Take exercise breaks.
When you get a few minutes the last thing you want to do is exercise but
getting a little physical activity in your day has far-reaching
implications. Exercise helps you to
think clearly and stretches the muscles.
Also, stress will drain away as powerful endorphins are released into
your system. Do jumping jacks during a
television commercial or jog to the bus stop to pick up the kids. (One of my
friends suggested this as well and maybe it’s just not for me. I like exercise
that is structured so this isn’t something good for me, plus I like my TV watching
time to be lazy, but try it and see if it gets your exercise mojo working! If
not, do get out and work that cardio, core and strength training. It is well
worth the effort and time. Try joining a gym with childcare, that does help or
maybe the YMCA, so when the kids are at practice or swim lessons, you can
exercise and everyone stays happy!)
6. Laugh at regular intervals. Keep a funny calendar cube on your desk or
subscribe to a daily joke site. Laughing
releases stress and can lift your spirits significantly. It also keeps the abs tight. (I read a study
once about how much children laugh compared to how much we adults laugh as we
age and boy, that was a sad statistic! 300 to 15… Definitely laugh MORE, laugh
LOUD and laugh OFTEN. Get back to being silly. Play with your kids! Play with
your significant other. Play MORE. Play like you life depended on it!)
Moms, you must take care of "YOU"!
Your family would miss you if you were not around to love and care for
them, so that alone should make you realize just how important you are! You owe it to yourself and you deserve a break
from the daily hustle and bustle. Moms, learn to relax and that is an order!
Happy Spring!
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