Making Time For Me As A Mommy
Let’s face it, becoming a mom is a life-changing experience. Often our lives get turned upside down preventing us from continuing on our career paths, hobbies, passions, spending time with our family and friends, or just taking time for ourselves.
When I first became a Mommy the lack of “me time” came as a complete shock. Realizing that I had to spend all of my time and attention on somebody else while leaving me very little time for myself was STRESSFUL.
As we have more children our time gets divided more and more. We find ourselves thinking about our kids even when we’re trying to spend time by ourselves.
We Forget To Take Time For Ourselves
It’s not uncommon to forget about making time for us—even though it’s imperative that we take time to recharge our batteries to be the best mommy for our children. Taking a few minutes out of your day for “me time” is essential—plain and simple.
We get so preoccupied and busy being the best mommy for our children we forget that we need to take care of ourselves. Spending all our time and energy on others can actually prolong postpartum depression and elevate our stress levels—which is never good.
I am not trying to portray being a mommy in a negative lite because being a mother provides many rewards. We just need to remember that having “me time” is also important to make sure our batteries are charged and we are at our best.
Don’t Get Overwhelmed
Let’s not get overwhelmed with this busy and stressful time in our lives. Take some time for yourself to relax and refresh. Realize that you deserve to have time dedicated to you and your interests every once in a while.
It’s completely okay to take care of yourself, even though we might feel a little guilty because we’re not home with our children catering to their every wants and wishes. We should remember that for thousands of years parents have raised countless children, and I promise you not every parent waited hand and foot on their kids.
Get Out And Be Active
So, let’s get out there and take a bike ride. Let’s go play in the park or do something that WE enjoy—like watching a movie or playing a video game. Take some time for yourself each day to charge your batteries and strengthen your psychological happiness.
Start A Hobby
Do you have any hobbies that you’ve dropped but used to enjoy? Why not try and rekindle some of those old passions that you had? What’s the last activity that you enjoyed so much that you forgot to eat? That would be an excellent place to start when discovering a hobby. Give it a try, even if you’re only able to dedicate a little bit of your time to it.
Now might be a good time to try to learn new things. There are actually many activities that we can fit into our schedules as long as we plan for it. Let’s get to know ourselves again and rekindle our desires. Let’s be a little selfish with our “me time” because it’s okay to love ourselves and to be happy at the same time.
Social media is a big part of our lives, and often we find ourselves watching videos on Facebook or on YouTube. What kind of videos do you actually watch are they something that you could turn into a hobby? Try creating your own videos or just enjoy yourself doing the same type of activities that you spend hours watching. There are countless different options for hobbies. Don’t be afraid to explore a little.
Finding A Hobby Can Take Time
Have you ever tried something and realize later that it’s not something that you like doing? Guess what? Don’t get discouraged and to recognize that every hobby isn’t for everybody. People have different interests and so keep going and find what you’re interested in and make sure you enjoy the time that you spend doing it.
Take A Vacation
Giving yourself a holiday away from the kids is a great idea to help you realign with yourself. If you’re able, find somebody that can take care of your children for a little while and take a short break.
I’m not talking about taking a week off from being a mommy and going on a cruise every couple months. You can merely take half a day up to a few days and really enjoy some alone time. By taking short breaks here and there will allow you to spend time taking care of yourself.
Think About Taking Your Kids With You
I understand that not all of us are able to dump our kids off on our parent’s doorstep and run away for the weekend. So you might want to consider taking your children with you.
Finding something that you can do together as a family can also be very refreshing. Even just taking the kids to watch a movie can give you a couple of hours of peace in our minds. It gives us a chance to immerse ourselves into the store where we’re not always thinking about taking care of the kids sure what’s for dinner.
Enroll Your Kids Into Sports
I recently enrolled my kids into soccer and even though it was only one or two hours a week that we spent on practices and games, those hours allowed me to sit and enjoy myself while my kids had fun.
During practice, I was able to contemplate where I’m at in life, think about problems that I’m dealing with, watch my kids playing with others, and really just take a mental break from being a mom.
Meet Or Watch People At The Park
I’ve also rediscovered that going to the park is refreshing. Just sitting in a new surrounding and being able to let the playground babysit the kids for a moment. Obviously keeping a watchful eye on the kids but being able to see other people who are at the same stage in life as I was more fun than I expected. I have also been blessed with finding new friends and having some terrific conversations while watching my kids play.
Family, Friends And Holidays
Sometimes just spending time with your friends or family at holiday parties can give your kids a much-needed break from us too. This can help you connect with others more socially. Take the opportunity to laugh and love one another. The kids will be busy playing with other kids their own age. Consider asking your friends and family what they’re doing for the holidays and if there’s any room for you to join.
How About You?
What are some activities or advice you would give to other Mommies who are trying their best to survive? What has helped you thrive?
