Why do moms find it so hard to sit back, relax, and just keep things calm and peaceful?
An average mother usually has a never-ending to-do list. From the moment the alarm goes off, she would typically be pulled in a thousand different directions because of child care, chores, errands and, for working moms, office responsibilities. The much talked about “me time” is often a myth.
Because mothers are wired to care for other people, they are perfectly fine with this crazy busy lifestyle, but this takes a serious toll on their mental and physical health. Some stress and tension may be normal, but if you’re a mom who can’t even enjoy a cup of coffee for ten minutes, then you need to learn how to do something for yourself on a regular basis.
You don’t have to feel guilty about taking an hour or two to take care of your own needs. Kids love happy moms and husbands love happy wives. If you’re looking for ideas that will help you relax, we have a few tips:
Just Enjoy Your “Me Time”
Your health and sanity are definitely more important than having a clean house. Your family will not hate you for letting the laundry pile up for a couple of days. Go ahead, enjoy a few hours for yourself.
Instead of rushing to get things done during your child’s nap time, why not enjoy several pages of your new book instead? Find a hobby that will make you feel relaxed and commit at least twenty minutes of your day to keep doing it. If you are a working mom, maybe take an afternoon off every month to do something relaxing. Give yourself permission to enjoy. Being a mom doesn’t mean sacrificing every single minute of your life to attend to the needs of others.
Exercise And Eat Right
How can you keep on taking care of other people if you don’t know how to take care of yourself?
It’s not about getting rid of the “mom bod” or fitting back into your pre-pregnancy clothes. It’s about making sure that you are taking care of your body. You don’t have to commit to an expensive gym membership. Just a video at home that will help you get moving is good enough Also, your eating patterns might be affected by stress. Be more mindful of what you put in your body.
Socialize And Talk To Your Friends
Ever feel like you’ve been isolated from the world ever since you became a mother? We completely understand. Once you have little ones who need you 24/7, it seems so hard to connect with the rest of the world.
Once in a blue moon, have a night off to enjoy Margaritas with your girls. Make sure to reach out to your friends every once in a while. Having other mommy friends might help too. Talking to people will make you feel human again. Don’t lose friendships just because you became a mom.
Don’t Be A Perfectionist
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having standards, but if you are always focusing on all the small details, you are giving yourself unnecessary stress. Learn to just let some things go. No one will judge or punish you for lowering your standards a bit.
When you make mistakes or when things don’t go as planned, learn to laugh with your kids. A more relaxed approach to things will help your kids understand that they too don’t have to beat themselves up when things are not going flawlessly.
Have A Candlelight Bath
As a mom, self-care is probably one of the things that you tend to ignore. While your schedule might only permit a quick shower on most days, try to find a way to enjoy an hour in the tub at least once a week.
A hot bath with Epsom salt will help you relax and release tension in your body. Choose salts with essential oils that will give you aromatherapy benefits as well. A bath soak can also help you fight anxiety and give you relief.
Our Deep Relaxation Bath Soak with 100% pure lavender essential oil can help reduce stress. It can also help improve sleep. Adding this to your bath water will turn bath time into a truly relaxing experience.
You may find more about our bath soaks here.
