The endless pressures and demands of motherhood can take up most of your time in a day. It’s natural to feel like your children consume all of your attention. That may even be reality, but it’s not healthy for them or you. Carving out some time just for you is important and there’s no need to feel guilty about it. Yes, we all want to be a good mom, but taking care of ourselves will make us better moms for our children, as well as better spouses and friends.
Taking just a 15-minute hiatus from your hectic schedule each day can give you exactly what you need. Start small with a five-minute break and build up to having a few hours all to you. Even if it means waking up a bit earlier or staying up later.
Here are 45 ways to help you find some time to recharge and re-energize. You won’t have to break the bank either. Make it happen, you deserve it!
1. Wake up early before the daily chaos begins and enjoy the sunrise.
2. Sit on your porch and sip your favorite hot beverage.
3. Start a low-intensity stretching and flexibility routine.
4. Go for a stroll – not a power walk – in your neighborhood.
5. Call an old friend you haven’t spoken to in a long time.
6. Flip through a magazine that has been languishing on your coffee table and then recycle it.
7. Focus on your pet and give them some of your love.
8. Research a dream vacation online.
9. Sit in a simple cross-legged pose and practice breathing exercises.
10. Try a new genre of music by browsing YouTube for new sounds.
11. Scrapbook your family’s latest celebration.
12. Relax over a cup of herbal tea.
13. Go to your local nail salon and treat yourself to a pedicure.
14. Press play and escape with a good movie.
15. Take a trial class of an activity you have wanted to try.
16. Download and read a free e-Book.
17. Organize a cluttered area in your home that has been nagging you.
18. Take a jog to blow off some steam.
19. Plan a date with a few girlfriends and have a mommy night out.
20. Learn a few meditation exercises and work them into your daily routine.
21. Draw a bath, throw in bath salts, light candles and turn off the lights.
22. Take a short drive listening to your favorite tunes.
23. Do 10 low-key yoga poses and just breathe.
24. Browse the new titles at your neighborhood bookstore.
25. Learn a few words in a new language.
26. Trade off with your spouse and sleep in on the weekends.
27. Indulge in a two-hour massage.
28. Go to a new boutique and browse the season’s latest designs.
29. Get refreshed with a facial at a local spa.
30. Pump up the volume and listen to your favorite songs.
31. Make time for a long lunch with a good friend.
32. Put the kids to bed early and snuggle on the sofa with your spouse.
33. Hang a birdfeeder outside a window to have brief interludes of watching nature’s winged creatures.
34. Pamper your hands with a manicure.
35. Make that gourmet recipe you have always wanted to try.
36. Meet a friend for coffee and a sweet indulgence.
37. Read a chapter in the latest best-selling book.
38. Pull out that unfinished project sitting in the closet and finish it.
39. Organize a potluck lunch or dinner with other moms.
40. Start a journal and release your feelings through written words.
41. Do a crossword or Sudoku puzzle.
42. Browse local housewares stores to add a pop of color to a room in your home.
43. Put on a DVD for the kids and have a glass of wine.
44. Head over to a local department store and get a makeover from a luxurious cosmetic line.
45. Arrange for a babysitter and have a date night with your spouse.
Sara is a freelance writer and mother of two daughters.
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