Whether you’re a single or married mom, whether you have one kid or six, chances are, you’re trying to do it all for everyone in your home. You clean, you cook, you get the kids to and from school, you work, you attend parent-teacher conferences, help with homework; maybe you even volunteer. Then comes laundry, folding clothes and then, what? Maybe catch your breath and get ten winks of restless sleep, thinking about all the things you have to do the next day. But in the midst of this chaos that is the daily life of a mother, moms need to remember to take care of themselves, too!
With everything moms do out of love for their families, it’s too easy to forget about that all-important “me time”. Because you are the most important thing on your to-do list. If you don’t get a break, you’ll find that you can’t enjoy time with your family or partner. You’ll end up feeling resentful, angry, tired and then guilty for feeling this way! All this stress is harmful for your emotional and physical health. And, once the kids are grown and out of the house, you may wake up one day and ask yourself: What happened? Did I miss something? Where did all my time go?
Editor’s Note: This article is one in a series of empowerment and inspiration pieces brought to you by Colgate.
To save you some future regret and help you enjoy the present, here are some tips on how you can carve out time to take care of yourself, so you can refresh, recharge and then go back to taking care of everyone else.
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Schedule a Break • Sit down and speak to your husband or partner, and tell him that you need some time off, once a week—even if it’s just for a few hours. You may be a stay-at-home mom and your spouse may work full-time, but in reality, you both have full-time jobs.
Editor’s Note: This article is one in a series of empowerment and inspiration pieces brought to you by Colgate.
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Share the Load • Hiring a nanny may be too expensive, but many communities have parent co-ops where parents take turns taking care of the kids in a safe environment. If there isn’t one in your community, start one. Gather with a group of parents you know and trust, and every weekend or one evening a week, have parents take turns babysitting your collective brood.
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Take a Bath • A 20-minute bath will give you time to relax and collect yourself and your thoughts. Shut the bathroom door—lock it if necessary—and pamper yourself with nice bath salts or oil, candles and soft music. Ahhh….
Read Related: Tips for Preventing Working Mom Burnout
- Find Time to Exercise • A 30-minute walk, alone or with a friend, will help you vent, relax and oxygenate your body and mind. It’s hard to get to the gym with all the things on your plate. But you can get fit at home or outdoors, in just 30 minutes a day.
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Take Time to Read • Find out what is going on in the world and with the latest book releases. Relax and enjoy a good read, even if it’s just once a week. Not everything you do has to be on your to-do list!
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Dress Up • Buy some nice clothes, and wear them. You can’t run around in sweats all day. Splurge a little, and get yourself a few nice items of clothing, and find places to wear them, like maybe on date night with Hubby.
Editor’s Note: This article is one in a series of empowerment and inspiration pieces brought to you by Colgate.
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Pamper Yourself • Get pedicures, manicures, and massages. Do whatever makes you feel special and pretty. Do something you used to do BC (Before Children). Whatever you gave up and miss, take it up occasionally. Once in awhile you have to give yourself a little nurturing.
Yes, superwomen can make it, but every so often, they have to put themselves first in order to face all their responsibilities and take care of their families. So go ahead and take some “me time,” guilt-free!
