Never a dull moment.. this week we’ve been hit by the dreaded sickness bug and have been juggling a little more than usual. Christmas is fast approaching and rightly or wrongly much of the organisation falls to us so it’s more important than ever that we prioritise self care and make sure that instead of being frazzled, we can enjoy this special time.
So how can we make more time for ourselves?
We have busy lives: children, jobs, partners etc and we quite like to squeeze in a bit of a social life and exercise routine. Yet there are only 24 hours in the day- how can we make it work?
No magic bullets here but a few tips to make time for yourself and stay sane….
Get up early. Yes this is painful and maybe a step too far if you’re still up with tiny children in the night. But go to bed early and get up early. It’s worth it, I promise. 6- 7 AM is golden time for me. The children are supposed to stay in their rooms until 7. I get up, without looking at my phone, find my planner and write down my intentions for the day and what I’m grateful for. That’s it. I start the day in a positive frame of mind and clear about my MITs (Most Important Tasks). Check out Mel Robbins’ The Five Second Rule for more on this.
Next is exercise– You Tube is my friend and at the moment I’m doing HITT with Joe Wicks or Yoga with Adrienne. Anything else is then a bonus- Important footnote here- no 6AM starts at the weekend unless you really want to. Give yourself a break.
Responsibilities- this is tough. You probably have too many. Write a list of everything you can think of. Firstly what can you lose- will the kids survive on beans on toast mid week so you don’t have to cook? Whatever corners you can cut, do, for the sake of your sanity.
Next, delegate. Periodically if I present my husband with a list of all the to dos he generally has no idea how much there is to do and will generally raise his game in response. Similarly we’re always amazed that the kids can do way more than they let on and miraculously, when bribed with pocket money, can do all sorts of useful domestic tasks- woo hoo.
Cut the crap– whatever form this takes in your life- get rid. Cut out the rubbish TV (Not Motherland though!) and unfollow the negative voices on social media that drain you. Use the Pareto principle and write down the 20% of people who really matter to you and go all out for them but you don’t have to be all things to all people.
Remember that as a working mum you can’t do it all perfectly. Accept that good is good enough. Make sure you slow down and give yourself permission to focus on what really matters- your health, your relationships and your children.
Please share if you find this helpful and comment below: How do you make more time for yourself?
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