Drowning in Motherhood? Make Time for Yourself

Moms (and hopefully dads too) would probably agree that motherhood is the hardest job on the planet. Whether you’re fortunate enough to stay at home with your kids full-time like I did, or if you have to work to help bring home the bacon, we all deserve praise.

No one knows how hard moms work better than other moms. It doesn’t seem fair that we only get one day out of the year to be pampered (okay, two, if we count our birthdays), when we spend almost all of our time taking care of everyone else!  So if we want a bit of special treatment, then it looks like we’re going to have to do this on our own. When was the last time you took an hour just for some well-deserved “me” time? 

In the early days of motherhood, I could have easily been cast as an extra in a zombie movie. Most of my clothes looked like I had a condor residing on my shoulder.  In the beginning stages of motherhood, between the hormones and sleep deprivation, I felt like I was living in some kind of  alternative universe where there was no such thing as “me” time. 

As parents, we become so absorbed in caring for our new babies 24/7. If we aren’t feeding, or swaddling them, we are thinking about feeding and swaddling them—I’m p-r-e-t-t-y sure that I even dreamed about it several times… There is virtually no time to sleep or eat, let alone have any alone time. Or is there?

As a mother with a newborn and a toddler, it wasn’t easy for me to find time for myself. I had a zillion excuses. I convinced myself that no one else in the galaxy could care for my precious little kids better than yours truly. Looking back, I wish someone would have abducted me from my self-imposed exile in “Mommydom” long enough to enlighten me about the importance of “me” time. 

I realize that there were plenty of small things that I could have done for myself which didn’t require leaving the house, had I simply made the time. Here are some things that you can do while the baby naps or spends time with dad. The best part: they don’t require running a brush through your hair or sticking a key in an ignition.

  • Depending on whether you’re breastfeeding or not, pour yourself a glass of wine or a cup of tea. Go online shopping for a bit of retail therapy!
  • Serve yourself a big bowl of ice cream, grab a cozy blanket, and start catching up on your favorite shows and films on Netflix.
  • Call an old friend and have a conversation that doesn’t involve the word “breastfeeding” or “sleep deprivation.”
  • Light some candles, draw a nice bubble bath, and nibble (or feast) on some chocolate.
  • Take the baby monitor with you outside and tend to your garden.

When we forget to take care of ourselves, we run the risk of being pulled down into the undertow of motherhood. We need to carve out our much-needed “me” time, which we need and deserve! Repeat after me, “I will make time for myself. I will make time for myself!” Okay mom, now go and do it!

How do you get out of your motherhood rut? Got any fun pick-me-ups that don’t require leaving the house? Share your stories and tips in the comments below!

Tags : confessions   conscious parenting   motherhood   parenting   

Deborah Essner
Daily steam showers and homemade masks help!
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