Before becoming a mom, I vowed to never become one of those martyr moms, who takes care of everyone around her and always puts herself on the bottom of the priority list. Like most things on my “when I have kids, I’ll never…” list, that’s certainly easier said than done.
However, I do make an effort to carve out time in my busy schedule for me-time whenever I can. As an introvert, I need time to myself in order to function; too many days without and I’m drained both physically and emotionally.
Here are some of the ways I prioritize self care, which for me means making time for the things that fill me up.
{read a book} Not surprisingly, my favorite way to recharge my batteries is to relax with a good book. I’d love to have an hour or two every afternoon to devote to reading, but that’s rarely the case. I make time for reading by getting to bed a little early so that I can read a little before going to sleep. When I can I also read during my lunch break, and I also listen to audiobooks in the evening when doing mindless chores and getting ready for bed. Basically, I squeeze reading into any of the margins I can. Here’s a whole post about how I make time for reading.
{bake something} Especially during the colder months of the year, I find it so relaxing to spend a weekend afternoon baking. I love being in the kitchen for any reason, but the slow pace of baking feels so much more soothing than frantically putting together weeknight dinners. These days it’s rare that I get to bake alone, but even with my little helpers it’s still enjoyable.
{listen to podcasts} For me podcasts are one of the easiest ways I make time for self-care. I love listening to them and they bring me so much joy. In fact, I wrote a whole post about how I listen to them with playlists and themes.
{spend time with family and friends} Although this isn’t exactly me-time, I think spending time with the people I love most is crucial for taking care of myself. Whether it’s having dinner with Aaron after the kids go to bed (our Wednesday night ritual) or enjoying a backyard barbecue with friends, I always feel better after spending quality time with my loved ones.
{plan and journal} For me, taking time each week to write in my planner and bullet journal is so important. Not only do I enjoy the process of planning out my week and making lists, but planning ahead also helps me ensure I’m not trying to cram too many things into a day (less of an issue these days in coronavirus times).
{yoga} I’ve been doing yoga (with Adriene) every weekday morning for the past couple of years and it is my very favorite way to start the day. Sometimes I do relaxing, more restorative videos, and other days I sweat like crazy, but either way I always feel great when I’m done.
How do you take time for yourself, even when life gets busy?
