The other day I was chatting with a few other Moms about me-time. Excuses were flying around like crazy. “I don’t have time.” “I’m never alone.” “There is more important stuff that needs to be taken care of.” “It’s just not that easy to find time.”
I call BULL! We are invested in this parenting gig for a really, really long time. We are running the show, holding down the fort, steering the ship… however you want to put it.
If we want to be able to manage this life as Mom then we have to take care of ourselves or we are going to crack.
Finding, creating, demanding small spaces of time for ourselves has to be a priority.
There is no waiting for when things settle down because things will never settle down. The time to start taking care of you is NOW!
Luckily the hardest part is making the decision to find time for you. Since your reading this I would bet you’re on board.
Use this list of me time ideas to get yourself thinking, read it a few times. Jot notes of activities you can expand on or change a bit. Better yet tell us your plans in the comments to inspire others.
Me Time Ideas for Early Risers
- Journal. Buy yourself a pretty journal and grab a pencil. Just start writing or use journal prompts.
- Drink coffee out of your favorite mug. In quiet. Until it’s empty. No reheating required.
- Give yourself a pedicure. Enjoy a warm soak and sit still while the polish actually dries!
- Do yoga. Or stretch or lift weights or learn a new dance from someone on YouTube.
- Create a miracle morning routine. The Miracle Morning has changed the way I start my day. I wake up an hour and a half before the kids. It’s my time and centers me for the day. This simple process reminds me why I do the things I do for the rest of the day. (This is an affiliate link but you can get it from the library too!)
Me Time Activites That Only Take a Few Minutes
- Go for a walk. It can be for the purpose of exercise but it doesn’t have to be. Pick a route that you enjoy and focus on the little things that make you smile along the way. (PS… you can do this while pushing a stroller.)
- Sketch. Try out the Tinkersketch challenge or just sit down next to your little artists and join in.
- Read a book. You know… one without pictures. Pick a fiction book or an inspirational book or a book that teaches you something new. Of course, if you enjoy reading books with pictures that’ll work too. Once you get started it’s amazing how many 5-minute reading sessions you can find throughout the day.
- Fall in love with a new musician or group. Remember how fun it was to find a new artist? Once you started listening you just couldn’t stop!
- BREATHE! These three breathing exercises are simple to learn. They work for energizing, relaxing and meditating.
Things to do for Me Time During Chores
- Shop for fun. Round up a little when you tell Hubby how long you’ll be out running errands. Use that time to stop at a “just for fun” store or spend some extra time browsing your favorite aisle at the store you’re at.
- Listen to an audiobook. Scrubbing the toilets is much more fun when it means you get to listen to the next chapter of your book!
- Meet a friend for breakfast. Breakfast and shopping. One of my favorite days of the week is grocery shopping day. That’s because I get up really early and meet my Mom for breakfast. We enjoy an hour of quiet chat time and hit the store just as it opens. It doesn’t affect anyone else and I get some me time!
- Watch a movie. Make it a rule that you fold laundry alone. Each load buys you about 10 -15 minutes if you fold really slow… hee hee. By the end of laundry day, you’ll have watched the whole thing and be looking forward to full laundry baskets.
- Enjoy a hobby. Bring along something fun to do while you wait in the carpool line. Crochet, needlepoint or reading a magazine about your favorite hobby can all be done while you’re waiting.
Me Time Ideas To Plan Ahead
- Join a book club. Find a local book club or join one online. Check out the book club for recovering readers, put together especially for busy Moms.
- Learn to paint. In our area, painting studios are all over the place. They offer classes and open paint sessions. Find one and go! Meet a friend there or go on your own.
- Date your love. Ahhh, you remember him right? Well, part of taking care of you is taking care of both of you. And that means dates. Sneak in at home date nights after the kids are in bed.
- See your friend. Some of your friends have kids right? Setting up a play date might not be exactly what you have in mind for a girls’ night but it’s still fun. Just make sure to plan some stuff that involves moderate Mommy involvement so the two of you can sit back and chat for a bit.
- Soak in the bath. With candles and enough music to drown out the noise on the other side of the door. It’s okay, and actually good, to claim some time for yourself. You can give your family a time frame if that helps them feel better. And be strict about interruptions. After a few times, they will know you mean business and figure out how to manage without you for a bit.
Need a Mom Win for today? Mark reading this post down as MOM WIN! –> 50 Mom Wins You Didn’t Even Know You Could Celebrate
Where can you fit in some me-time today? Commit to it in the comment section and I’ll check in later to hold you accountable!
Great list. Actually strolled around stores without the kids looking at possible things to get them for Christmas.
I love this list. It’s easy to forget about yourself. I would love to take walks outside, but where I live there isn’t really anything within safe walking distance besides a small park. So it’s hard to go out without going anywhere.
I see a difference when I do get up before the kids. But usually I cannot pull myself out of bed… with two of my three precious angels waking up way too often during the night. But I’m always ready to try and try again and so I will plan to wake up tomorrow an hour earlier!
YAY! How did it go Sarah? Were you able to get up? I’ve been finding it difficult this past month because it’s cold (well coldish since I’m in California)
Thanks for asking! Actually I didn’t manage to wake up early. The kids woke up much earlier and I couldn’t get myself up even then at 7:30…;-) Will keep trying…
🙂
I find myself thinking quite often that if I take time for myself its being selfish! But today when I took my time doing my nails I felt relaxed! Thats the trouble with I never slow down for me! I love my family and work but I need to slow down.
Getting over the idea that it’s selfish is a huge step! Way to go Debbie. HUGS!
The selfish part really struck a chord. We feel guilty, every time, we decide to take some time to do something for ourselves. But what we do not realise is that by taking some time of for ourselves, we can recharge ourselves and go back to being an awesome mother.
In my case, when I really feel like I need some me time then shopping, spa therapy and reading are the ones that top my list!
YES!!!
I started meditating! After your post, I found free minutes for myself in my day and began to meditate. And you are completely right, you should always try to find time for yourself! Because if he does not exist at all, then you can go crazy. I love watching movies while I’m cooking or cleaning, it’s always very relaxing. Thanks for your advice too! I really liked the advice about falling in love, because going home at night when the children are already asleep is so cool! Thank you for your efforts!