How do I care for myself after becoming a mom? This is a question I have asked myself repeatedly throughout the years. Each time I feel I have found the answer, life throws me another curveball. Between working full-time and being a full-time parent, there isn’t always time left in the day for my own self-care. I’d like to say there is a magic trick that adds extra time in the day, but alas, I have yet to find that. Instead, I have needed to be creative with my time. Here are some of the tricks that have helped me over the years.
2 minute rule
This is my rule to convince myself that I have enough time to complete a self-care task. There are many days when even 10 minutes feels like too much time to spare, because those 10 minutes are often interrupted by at least one kid needing me. On these days, I implement my “2-minute rule.” Frequently, I can find 2 minutes in between tasks to take care of myself, like washing my face, for example. I may not have time to brush my teeth, wash my face, put lotion on, etc., all in one sitting. But by splitting these tasks up throughout my evening, I can get all of them completed, and in the end, I don’t feel defeated because I was interrupted 20 times.
The new skin care I have been testing out (this is not sponsored)
Self care Hour
While the 2-minute rule is great for busy weekdays and completing the necessary self-care tasks, it isn’t sustainable long term to really “fill your cup”. As a goal, once a week, I try to have my self-care hour. This is when the weekends and my husband come in handy. Now I know he would let me have an hour to myself every night, but working opposite shifts to cut down on daycare costs, that leaves the weekend for this self-care hour to happen. I mentioned that once a week was my goal, because often I find I fit this in once every other week, due to our busy lives.
This self-care hour is where I fit in my time to do something for myself, whether reading, yoga, writing, or whatever I need that day to feel like I’ve done something for myself. Finding that time every week may not be sustainable for your life, I recommend looking at what would be reasonable for you. Being an involved parent is a selfless act. It takes time and dedication to raise these wonderful humans. However, that doesn’t mean we need to completely lose ourselves in the process.
Remembering who you are
Think back to what you enjoyed doing before you had children. Do you still enjoy those same hobbies? Are there new hobbies you would like to learn? Are there barriers preventing you from enjoying your old hobbies? I found that after I had my two youngest children, I hardly ever participated in any hobbies for myself. The books I read were children’s books, I was singing children’s songs. While those moments brought me joy, knowing it was time I was spending with my children, there were hobbies I missed. Now, two years after my youngest was born, I am finding the hobbies I enjoy. I found that I enjoy audiobooks on my ride to work. I never thought that would be something I would enjoy. Generally, I get distracted easily, but I have found some great audiobooks!
What about you?
So, what are your self-care habits that you do that help you get through the busy days? Comment below, and follow me on instagram to continue on this journey.