Finding Time for “Me” Time

A mom’s first priority is always family. She thinks of her family’s well-being, while often disregarding her own. Resting from all the ‘mom work’ can be difficult with day-to-day responsibilities. Moms need a break from time to time. Any mom should take care of herself first in order to become capable of taking care of her family. This much-needed rest is what we call “Me” time, or time away from everything and everyone. Here are four steps to practice “Me” time:

1. Accept that you need some “Me” time. Never feel guilty about taking some time for yourself. Guilt is usually the initial feeling new moms have when they plan to have alone time. This feeling hinders the enjoyment of self-care. Moms should know view “Me” time as a well-deserved break, and a reward for the hard work they do in caring for their family.
    
2. Point out which among your daily activities is a complete waste of time. Observe which of your activities take up a lot of your time, but do not necessarily benefit you or your family. Try this exercise: Lay out your chores for the entire day, and take note of the windows of free time you can reserve for yourself. If you still feel swamped, the best option would be to make someone look after your child for a few hours, or send them to a friend’s house for some playtime.
    
3. Decide how to spend your time. “Me” time can range from a few minutes to a whole day. You don’t always get to have alone time, so make the most of it. You can get a massage, go shopping, or do something that makes you feel happy and relaxed.
    
4. Plan a short ritual you can do every day. Spare some time to do something relaxing for even just 30 minutes. You could take a luxurious bath, go on a walk, or read a good book. Consider doing something that will get you excited for the day so that you wake up looking forward to something fun.

When you’ve gotten used to the idea of being away from your mom duties, you won’t feel so guilty. Although it’s important to look after the health and happiness of the family, it’s just as important to look out for yourself. Don’t place yourself at the bottom of your priority list. Your family is only as healthy as you are.

Reference

• Carvajal, Paula. “Finding Time for Yourself as a New Mom.”
  http://mom.me/mind-body/4287-finding-time-yourself-new-mom/item/21566-finding-time-for-yourself-as-a-new-mom4c/, unknown publication date. Web. 3 June 2014.
• Goldman, Ellen. “8 Ways to Put Yourself on Your Priority List.”
  http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=1657, unknown publication date. Web. 3 June 2014.

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