I’ve just spent two hours making two round trips. I left my neighborhood at 3:31pm with three kids in the backseat. Twenty minutes later, I drop off my daughter for her golf practice and drive back to my neighborhood for my son’s swim team. One hour into my drive time, I’m now down to one kid in the backseat. And guess what? He’s sound asleep, snoring away only a couple short hours before his bedtime! We are now on our way back to the golf course to pick up my daughter only to bring her back to the exact neighborhood pool we’ve just left. By the time all this chauffeuring is done, it’s 5:30pm. I’ve literally been sitting behind the wheel for two hours!
I’m pooped and there’s still a few more hours of mom-ing and wife-ing to do. But instead of collapsing, bursting into tears or completely losing my mind, here are a few small ways I’ve found help me regain my will to do it all again tomorrow.
Go For a Walk
Whether it’s a run, bike ride or an online exercise video (think Jane Fonda), find some way to burn off that pent up energy and put it towards something beneficial to you. As a morning person, I love to roll out of bed, savor a cup of coffee in a quiet house and head out for some quick exercise. It’s often the only time I have to myself all day!
Can’t leave the house? Sneak in a great at-home workout in 30 minutes or less.
Read Something Light-Hearted
Someday when all of my chauffeuring days will be behind me, I will finally crack open all those serious, mindset changing or historical must reads. But right now, when I can barely keep my eyes open at night, a few pages of a light-hearted fictional beach read is a great way to de-stress.
Take a Shower
Escape the craziness, lock the door and wash away the day that was. An evening shower also helps make the next morning a little less hectic. You’re already squeaky clean, fresh to go and highly caffeinated!
Listen to a Podcast
Turn off the news and stop scrolling through your Facebook feed. We are constantly inundated with the bad and the ugly and never enough of the good. Find an inspirational and motivational podcast to listen to or just something fun and silly to get into instead of the cable news headlines. Or check off two self-care items: listen to a podcast as you powerwalk around the block!
Love quotes? 10 fun self-care quotes to inspire you when you need it most!
Get Crafty
When was the last time you sat down with your kids, grabbed some crayons and colored alongside them? Research has shown that a few minutes of coloring lowers stress and anxiety, disperses negative thoughts and helps you enter a calming state. If meditating or yoga aren’t quite your thing, grab a coloring book instead.
Drink a Glass of Water
There have been so many times when the day is halfway over before I realize that I’ve yet to have a glass of water! I’ve been running around, checking off the To Do list and yet hydrating myself (outside of my two cups of morning coffee) hasn’t even entered my mind. Stop. Fill up a water glass. Drink.
Ask for Help
This has proven to be the hardest thing for me to do over my nine years of being a mother. I pride myself on being independent and getting it all done by myself. But there are days when I just need a break. Ask a friend to help with carpool duties. If you are lucky to live near family, ask a relative to watch your child so you can grocery shop by yourself. Ask your significant other to give you a couple hours of free no-kid time on the weekend.
Why not give yourself a self care staycation?
As a mom it’s so hard to find time for ourselves. We often don’t realize how much we’ve left ourselves go, or how much we need a break, until we are on tittering on the verge of losing it. Find one or two small things each day that make you feel human again and help you remember that you are so much more than just someone’s mom.
So as I start a new day, I will fill up my water bottle, flip on a good podcast and pile the troops back in the minivan for another round of driving and mom-ing!
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