Moms, do you need to find time for yourself? Here are three easy ways you can use shortcuts to get some much needed mommy time.
Why Moms Need to Make Mommy Time
As working moms, we spend all day in the office earning a living. We need a way to recharge our batteries. We need a release for the stress that has built up concerning finances, schedules, and priorities. When we take the time to renew our minds and bodies, we are able to be better wives, moms, and women.
I know you’re thinking, how in the world am I going to have time for anything else?
How to Make Time to Treat Yourself
Like Amy Lynn Andrews suggests in Tell Your Time, look at your schedule. What can you eliminate? What can you streamline? What can you delegate?
Reduce commitments. Say no to something to say yes to yourself. Instead of joining another committee, keep that block time open for you. Chores and errands can often be delegated to dad or the kids.
Reuse something. Look for items that can be reused. For example, instead of making a completely new menu plan every week, rotate in a 3 week cycle. Create a standard grocery list of items you usually buy and make copies to avoid needing a list from scratch.
Recycle time that might have been unusable. According to the EPA, recycling is “the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products.” I can never get back the time I spend commuting, so I often listen to podcasts to make better use of time that might have been considered unusable.
What do moms wish they had time for?
- Pedicure
- Manicure
- Massage
- Phone call to catch up with girlfriends
- Read books
- Date night
- Girls night
- Shopping
- Doctor appointments
- Grocery shop
- Clip coupons
- Exercise
- Spontaneity
Here are some creative ways to get some of these items:
Pedicure – Plug your tub to soak your feet while showering. Then, paint your toes before driving somewhere. Wear flip flops and your feet will dry while you’re driving. Here’s a great French Manicure How To from the SITSGirls site.
Reading Books – Listen to audio books while exercising, doing housework, or taking a bubble bath (even while commuting).
Catch up with girlfriends – Time will really go by quickly if you wash the dishes, fold laundry, or keep an eye on the kids as they play outside, while having a catchup call with your girlfriends.
Manicure – Paint your nails before going on a 30 minute walk. They will be dry by the time you get home. And, you’ll get in some exercise time.
If you really need time away from your kids (preferably out of the house), sleepovers, grandparents, your lunch break, an hour before or after work, or a 1/2 day off work on a Friday should do the trick. It’s amazing what you can get done in 5 minutes, 15 minutes, an hour, or a 1/2 day.
The bottom line, as I have learned it, is that a chunk of time does not usually appear for me to use on myself. My recharges are purposefully stolen moments or snuck into little corners of time that I would have ordinarily discarded.
Being a new mom is no easy endeavor. As much as you want parenting advice, you also need good ideas for nurturing your own grown-up relationships , dealing with sleep deprivation , making the decision of whether to be a stay-at-home mom or a working mom , as well as help finding new recipes , traveling with kids , getting in shape , and deciding on more kids . Share advice with other new moms, tap into the wisdom of new moms who’ve been around the block, and learn from our expert parenting advice.
I would also like to add to the list that I would like to have time to pee alone lol 😀
Great post but it is so important to be committed to having me time whatever else happens. I remember when mine were younger it didn’t matter how many times someone told me to rest while my baby was sleeping I thought I should catch up with ironing. I learned the hard way that “me time” is a vital part of being a mum and a role model.
That pedicure tip is genius! Thanks for posting. Hello from Busy Mondays.
‘Me time’ is so critical to my sanity as a mom. I like your point of delegating responsibilities. My husband is a saint when it comes to this. We trade off putting our two small boys asleep which frees up a few moments for a little ‘me time’. I am also one to call friends and family while I am doing chores around the house. Multitasking.
Multi-tasking is definitely amazing! One of my hobbies is earning Swagbucks, so I let the video app run on my phone while I go play with my daughter, or do chores during naptime. I’m still earning my Swagbucks while doing something productive. =)
Hey, It’s Janice from the Inspire Me Monday Linky party! I picked your post last week! Isn’t it funny how out of all these hundreds of posts you consistently end up on my comment schedule?
Anyway, you know I love you’re writing. You are inspirational lady! I sure need time for myself, and my husband too. Because of blogging. I’m behind on Scandal,Glee TV shows, LOL
Thanks for coming to the Linky party!
Janice
It’s Janice again. Guess what, I need your tips, so I just followed your blog. My kids are grown, but from what I’ve read your tips are not just for Mommies.
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I don’t like audiobooks and feel like I NEED to read on paper. There are two ways I work it in: I read while I’m eating alone (weekday lunch, late-night snack, and often breakfast) and I commute by public transit and read on the bus and at the bus stop. When my son was in preschool near my office so was with me for the commute, I read to him, enjoying a lot of books from my childhood over again!