Via Death to the Stock Photo

One thing I am learning as a mom, a wife, and an employee is that self-care is non-negotiable. When I neglect the things which make me feel happy, healthy, and whole, I become frazzled and I struggle to properly care for the people around me. As a mother, it has been easy for me to fall into a routine of martyring myself, or making myself believe self-care is selfish. It is easy for me to look at the responsibilities surrounding me and assume I simply don’t have the time to care for myself.

The truth is, it easy to neglect self-care. It is easy to prioritize the needs of everyone around you while ignoring your own needs. But it also easy to believe there is no time for your own hobbies and wellness, when it is simply not true. Sure, we have a limited amount of time each day, but I know I devote time to unnecessary things or fail to manage my time well on a daily basis. So, finding time for self care in my own life has meant creatively looking at my schedule and finding more time in my schedule. Here are a few ways I am finding more time for self care.

#1. Deleting social media apps from my phone: First, let me say—I really love social media. I have no interest in giving it up completely. What I have done, is remove social media apps from my for several days or longer. Even though I only spend a few minutes at a time checking in on Facebook or Instagram, those minutes add up and take time away from my day.

#2. Saying no more: Saying no to the people I care for does not come easy to me, but sometimes it is essential if I really want to care for myself. Usually this looks like saying no to something that is not really that important, such as saying no to cleaning my kitchen after the girls head to bed an reading a book instead. Or saying no to an play date invitation when I really need a quiet day at home.

#3. Asking for help more often: As a work-at-home mom with young children, the days where I check everything off of my to-do list are few and far between. Instead of stressing out or putting housework before my own wellness, I am asking for help more and letting my husband step in however he can throughout the week. Lately, this has looked like him doing dinner clean up and bedtime with our girls so I can get an early start on my work each evening.

#4. Combining fun and responsibility: Sometimes, there is no getting around your to-do list, it simply has to be done. One way I taking better care of myself is combining work with fun every once in awhile. This has meant inviting a friend along for a diaper run or inviting another freelancer friend to work alongside me in a coffee shop. It isn’t much, but a little company can add something special to the most boring tasks.

Warmly,

Mary

How do you find time for yourself? Share you tips in the comments below.