A mother is a very special person not just on Mother’s Day but every day. In most families Mum is the one that keeps the family glued together, her children happy and looks after the home, a partner and many hold down a job too. Becoming a mother for the first time and having a child who cherishes you unconditionally, is what makes a mother feel warm and fuzzy inside. Love and appreciation is what keeps you strong as your children grow and new challenges are thrown at you. As a devoted mum you pick up the pieces, bake the cakes, attend birthday parties, organise fun w/e’s away and ensure the smooth running of the household and often put your own needs last. Like most busy mums, you’ll be left no time to think, you’re existing on autopilot.
Being a mother is not all about sacrifice, it is about you learning to love yourself and taking care of your own needs first, not always giving in then making excuses and saying, there’s no time left for me. Of course there are always jobs to be done, but when you don’t make time for you or ask for more support, tension builds up. Children need feeding, attending to and looking after but some jobs can wait and when you ignore your own needs, it has an impact. Here are some tips for you to carve out some all-important ‘me time’ and boost your energy levels.
Being organised and having a routine will help your day flow better and actually creates more time, as will batching tasks together, such as doing the chores at a set time i.e., doing a large load of washing instead of several small loads. Another way to save time is to batch cook a number of meals and freeze them. If you plan your meals in advance, then you can shop for ingredients beforehand and won’t have to constantly think, what’s for dinner tonight?
Taking time for you, even if it’s to sit and have a hot drink by yourself or pick up and read a book for 10-20 minutes will do wonders for your mental health.
If you have a partner who comes home from work allow him to take over when he comes in the door and give you a much-needed break or perhaps have him cook dinner while you sort out bedtime. Whatever you agree to, will free up time for you. When you sit down and consider all the tasks you do over the day, it’s not unreasonable to enlist help. If you employ a cleaner once a week or fortnightly it would give you a break and lift your mood. When you return to a sparkly, clean home without you having to lift a finger it brings a smile to your face.
Don’t forget to do some exercise too, this will boost your energy levels even if you feel exhausted. A brief walk will help you invigorate and give you more energy.
Drinking at least 2 litres of water is a simple way to stay healthy and flushes the toxins out of your system. It might not be something you always do but when you start new habits and build them up, you’ll be surprised at how far you can go to give yourself the love and care you need to keep yourself going, and be the calm mum you want to be.
What is something you could change today that would make you feel appreciated and able to reclaim a part of you that may have been neglected? Relax, enjoy and sit back on Mother’s Day.