How to Make Guilt-Free Me Time as a Parent
Are you constantly saying, “I just do not have enough time,” or “I am way too busy to do that?”As a work at home mom I feel like I NEVER have time for myself. If I am not with my family then I am working on one of my blogs or doing housework. I often forget how important it is to make time for myself.Most parents probably think the same way I do, and put their children before themselves. Making time to do something I enjoy is not on my priority list when I have a million things to accomplish every day, but it is important to create time for me. Working from home has taught me to be extremely productive with my time. I have learned that I can accomplish a lot more every single day when I do take that extra time to do an activity that I enjoy rather than something I have to do.
I have found that more often than not, the days where I feel like giving up are the days where I have NOT made time for myself. Even if that time is spent thinking and reflecting on my thoughts it is important for my everyday life. I have a hard time accepting this idea because I feel like as a mom I should not need or want to ‘take a break.’ But, I have found that I am a much happier mom for my kids when I have taken ‘me time.’Today, I wanted to share with you how I MAKE the time for myself. I used to think it was all about ‘finding’ time in the day, but it is all about ‘making the time.’ Motherhood can be daunting and extremely difficult. I definitely have some really rough days and get stressed easily, but I have found that making time for yourself is extremely beneficial and I am no longer going to feel guilty about it.Here are my tips to make time when you feel like you have absolutely zero time left in the day for yourself:Make it a priorityI recently talked about how you can get more done every day by prioritizing your to-do list and planning ahead. By making your ‘you time’ a priority you can block off a specific time during the day to spend doing what you choose. Even if this means waking up before your kids or taking advantage of nap time.This may mean you have to give up something else during your day to be able to schedule this time in. I do struggle with this a lot because when I do wake up before my kids I want to get something else more important done, but I have taught myself that this is important for my health and well-being as a mom. When I have this extra half an hour in the morning to myself I feel like my day goes a lot smoother.Set boundariesYou may think you can get everything done each day, but you can’t. I have found that accepting this fact has made it easier to make time doing things that I enjoy during the day. I like to set boundaries by saying ‘no’ sometimes. I love helping other people any chance I can get, but it has put a strain on my own life. I was always sacrificing my own needs and wants in order to please everyone else. By freeing up some of the time spent helping others I was able to help myself and de-stress by having extra time. This does not mean that I do not help anyone or go out of my way for family and friends it just means that I am able to tell them no from time to time so that I am not busy every minute of the day.Write down your dayThis may seem pretty odd, but try writing down everything you did today. You may think that you have zero time left over, but when you have it in writing you can see what you actually spent time doing. You can even try doing this for tomorrow by writing down your tasks and the amount of time it took.You may be surprised with all the extra time you have throughout the day. Think about the amount of time spent on social media, driving or any other task you do on a daily basis. You may have a long commute for work. Consider unwinding on your way home by listening to an audio book. Instead of being on Facebook for a half an hour choose to do something that you enjoy.Here are a few suggestions on how you can make the time for yourself:
Wake up early {this is my favorite!}Simplify your to-do listSchedule it into your daily plannerTake advantage of your commuteAsk for help
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