We all know too well that children keep you very busy and they love to create more work for you. Just when you think you have gotten on top of it all, they can instantly provide you with endless more jobs on your to do list!
The number one thing that regularly challenges me as a MUMme is the feeling that I just don’t have enough TIME in the day to do all the things that I want to do. This can get me quite frustrated and stressed when my time is limited OR INTERRUPTED.
Some days it feels like my time has been hijacked and I am CONSTANTLY chasing my tail trying to stay afloat in the midst of the chaos. From drop off to pick ups, to washing, shopping, cooking, meal planning, feeding, packing and unpacking bags, cleaning etc, time can run away from me very quickly!
So what is time really? Why do we feel like we never have enough or as if our time is slipping away from us?
I remember when I was about 7 years old and school holidays seemed like forever…days were long and drawn out and time felt very different then. I was not chasing time nor was I feeling like I had a lack of time. TIME FELT SLOWER. Fast forward to now and time FEELS very different.
I have struggled with PRIORITISING my time as a mumme…for me everything seemed and felt important. I want to live in a clean and happy house. I want to be on top of the washing, have a clutter free home so THEN I can relax. But we all know too well that this TIME doesn’t come and we can feel a slave to all the household duties that are constantly knocking at our door.
By focusing on all the household jobs first, I was MISSING OUT on some precious ME time. Moments where I could have nourished myself, FILLED UP MY OWN WELL, so that I could have given back to my family from a place of wholeness.
What I also found was that I was focusing on SOME of the jobs that could have waited till LATER….waited till the kids were in bed, so that when they were with me I could give them 100% of me…my undivided attention, my presence.
Being a mumme is a full time 24/7 job. Your bundle of joy arrives into this world and you clock on. Unless you PLAN conscious opportunities to clock off for a while to replenish, you will be doing back to back shifts for sometime, or at least till your child/ren get a little older. But this particularly rings true if you have little ones.
Finding time for YOU each and everyday will have a profound impact on you as a mother. Just like you need to love yourself to love others, you need to CARE FOR YOURSELF to care for others. You do not need a lot of time to do this. All you need is to step into action, make the most of the moments you can take advantage of, step away from the washing/kitchen/computer/mobile and any other job that can wait till later and find something that NOURISHES YOU and soak it up.
For example, I put on some relaxing music and close my eyes, have a siesta, meditate, have a hot shower/bath, drink a hot cup of tea and read a book, write in my journal. It generally happens when my daughter has a nap (that’s my cue) or after both kids are in bed at night. Find whatever resonates with YOU and find the window of time that works for you. Make this your NUMBER ONE priority above all others at that time.
Once you get your WELLNESS RITUAL up and running, it’s like building a muscle. The more you work it the stronger it will get. You might actually find you start to naturally seek opportunities for ME time. If you continue blocking out your sacred time each day you may also find, what may have felt self indulgent or impossible initially, feels exciting and possible now.
Filling up YOUR WELL can have a positive impact on your child/ren and family.
You can feel more grounded/centred, less stressed, anxious, worrisome, more patient and happier as a mumme.
5 STEPS TO mum’ME’ TIME!
STEP 1: PUT ‘YOU’ BACK ON YOUR TO DO LIST- find a small amount of time that will work for you. PLAN AHEAD…Start with 10 Min’s each day and build from there.
DECIDE what you will do with your ME time…brainstorm a list of ideas, things that you love to do and things you haven’t allowed yourself the time to do for a while. Something that brings you pleasure and pure bliss.
STEP 2: PRIORITISE- make your time sacred. It is number one on your to do list. You come FIRST…before all the household duties. NOW TAKE ACTION.
STEP 3: BE MINDFUL- when your ME time has arrived pay attention ON PURPOSE to what you are doing. Observe what you are doing as if it was the first time you experienced it. Pay attention to what you are doing and how it makes you feel with added curiosity. SET AN INTENTION for your time. Eg, relaxation, nourishment, abundance, laziness…whatever you like and need a little of at that moment.
STEP 4: BE LOVING TO YOU- enjoy your precious time coming from a place of self-love, You deserve this. You are WORTHY of time to enjoy yourself and fill yourself up without needing to give back anything in return. Enjoy this experience FREE OF guilt and judgement.
STEP 5: EVALUATE- did you ENJOY your mumME TIME? What did you like & what didn’t work for you? Do you need to try another time that’s more suitable with less distractions? Do you need to ask for help from a partner/friend/family member next time, to ensure you get some time away for yourself? How do you feel after you give yourself some time? Did you notice any positive impact on how you dealt with your child/ren/family after you gave yourself some time out?
Use this evaluation process to find what works for you. If it didn’t work the first time, CHANGE IT & MIX IT UP! ENJOY!
The truth is we all have the same amount of time each and every day. So how will you choose to spend your time?
NOW I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!…PLEASE SHARE how you have found mumME time in your day and how you have chosen to spend it…
love n life
Nina x
