WRITTEN BY CAITYLIS ZEALAND
Being a mum is tough work, I think that’s something we can all agree on. We all need some self-care activities. Some days feel like a breeze, whereas others feel painful and never ending. None of us is perfect in this role of motherhood, most of us aren’t even close, and the reason for that is because we’re only human.
Every day we are met with constant demand-demand-demand from these miniature versions of ourselves we created and most days we seem to struggle to find time to pee let alone do anything else for ourselves!
But there is such a thing as mama-burn-out! When you’ve been screamed at, moaned at, whinged at and basically pulled from all possible angles you hit this wall where you question every single choice you ever made and suddenly you find yourself zoning out wondering how to turn this day around.
That’s when you know you are in desperate need for a 5 minute mum time out! So, find yourself 5 minutes (or more if possible) and reset yourself with one of these self-care activities.
Read a chapter of a book
The most perfect activity if you get a chance. Getting lost in a book even for a little while takes your mind off into this other world. For those few pages, you’re someone else. Hopefully, someone who’s not running around after kids!
Call a Friend
Find a quiet moment when you can chat with another mum friend on the phone. Sometime’s I’ve just fizzled out because I’m lacking a bit of adult conversation. At times I and a friend will just send voice notes to one another instead of texting and it makes all the difference to my mood.
Have a Stretch
The simplest of things always work the best. Block out all that loud toy crashing carnage. Just stretch your body and take a deep breath. Feel all your muscles extend, expand and return. Do this for long enough and you can absolutely count this as exercise (your own little mini yoga session!)
Grab 5 Minutes of Fresh Air
Something that sounds so simple but helps more than you realise. Even if it means taking the children into the garden, just let them run wild and free and find yourself somewhere to perch your bottom and b-r-e-a-t-h
Make a Goals List
This doesn’t have to be crazy. Things like ‘be rich’ will do here. Write down 3 achievable goals you can work towards this week/month. It could be something you’ve been meaning to crack on with for a while but things just keep getting in the way. For me, it would be to finish reading my book, lose another 3lb and make plans to see a friend. Put these goals somewhere you will consistently be reminded of them. On the fridge, or the bathroom mirror works perfectly!
Paint Your Nails
A task I prefer to do when my partner because I can try to drag it out longer than 5 minutes. Repeatedly telling him “my nails aren’t dry yet I can’t” has much satisfaction when in fact they are bone dry. If you’ve got a little extra time do your toes too!
Take a Social Media Break
For 5 minutes, an hour or even a day! Sometimes we forget how much negativity we absorb from our phone and it’s really healthy to take a break from it all once in a while. You will seriously see a difference in your mood if you do this. The easiest way I’ve found is to go into my settings and turn off notifications for apps I find myself on too often. This way my phone can still be reachable in emergencies but I’m not constantly distracted to what’s popping up on my notification bar.
Sit and Have a Hot Drink
Anyone else drinking hot drinks gone cold?! Always making one for the intension of drinking it but there’s always a toddler that needs entertaining or a baby who needs a feed! Set aside 5 minutes when you have the chance and tell yourself you are sitting down and drinking this HOT!
Put on Your Favourite Outfit
Sometimes a little bit of self-care is all about making yourself feel good. And clothes can definitely do that. Look in your wardrobe and put something on that makes you feel great and special. Something that makes you smile at your reflection in the mirror. You’ll thank yourself for it!
Write Down Your Feelings
I’ve always found writing down my feelings, especially negative ones, makes them leave my body and stay there on the page. Meaning I can close the notebook and walk away. Also writing things down will help you figure out why you’re feeling these certain ways in which you can try to solve the problem.
Take a Shower
I drag the bouncer into the bathroom for the baby and then set up an activity in the next room for my toddler. Jump in the shower and just freshen up. It gives my whole mind and body a much-needed reset and I feel capable to carry on mum-ing calmly.
Have you found that when you’re in a calmer state of mind your children are too? Isn’t it funny how they pick up on our emotions like that? When I raise my voice (which I’m sure we all have to do at some point in the day) I am usually met with a toddler screaming back at me. When I talk calmly and collectively I am mostly met with the same type of response.
Although I am fully aware this is easier said than done. Children are unpredictable creatures.
Do you give yourself a time out to do some self-care activities every day? It’s so important that you do! If you have any other fantastic 5-minute self-care activities please share them with us so we can all give them a try.
YOU CAN FIND CAITYLIS ON:
INSTAGRAM: @CAITYLIS
BLOG: CAITYLIS.CO.UK
