Self-care for Mama

Taking regular bits of time off for ourselves should be one of our top new year’s resolutions for 2020. Here are some super ideas to take care of ourselves…

HOLIDAYS ARE A wonderful time for R&R. Just a pity that the long ones only come around once or twice a year.

And we can’t really wait that long for some downtime.

That’s why it’s super important for us to schedule an hour for ourselves here and there in and among all the other things that have already started filling the diary. Start planning now!

Here are our top tips for navigating the new year while making time for you too

PLAN IT

Just like you planned the festive dinners down to the last plate, plan your me-time too. Whether you’d like an afternoon to yourself to read a book behind closed doors, or would prefer to saunter off to a spa for a day of well-deserved pampering – plan it. Put it in your diary as you would your other events, and tell your family about it. Once it’s planned and organised, it’ll be hard to cancel.

AVOID THE MALLS

Make the back-to-school season fun by involving the whole family. Better still, beat the last-minute shopping craze by going online. Shop at any time of the day, and don’t be tempted away from your shopping list. It won’t just save you time – it’ll save you money too.

CREATE TIME-OUT TRADITIONS

This is for you, you and your partner, and for the whole family together. For the two of you, set aside time, even once a week, for a date night. Have dinner, catch a movie – or do something else together that’s fun. Family time out might happen less often as it requires more coordination, but it’s no less important!

READ YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINE

Magazines are often the first luxury we cut when times are tough – such as during these first few months of the year. But when you compare the cost of a magazine with that of a holiday, it suddenly feels like you’re saving money when you buy your favourite magazine. Time spent reading is an indulgence, it takes you away for a little bit – and there’s also plenty of inspiration to boot.

GIVE YOURSELF A HOME PAMPER – BE IT A BATH, FACIAL, MANI OR PEDI

It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. For a pedicure, just pour yourself some warm water in a bathtub, soak feet for about 10 minutes to clean and soften the skin and toenails – and of course relax your tired toes.

KEEP A JOURNAL

Don’t keep a daily journal that consists of a recollection of what you did that day – unless it was something really important or otherwise noteworthy – but do keep a journal of thoughts and ideas, inspirational quotes, or ideas of things that you want to accomplish that week. The act of physically writing something down can be really relaxing. Goal journals are great tools for tracking your progress.

LEARN HOW TO DO SOMETHING NEW

This is especially great to do when you’re under a lot of stress. If you’re not really learning anything new at the mo, think about a new skill or hobby you’d like to start. Learn to play the guitar or piano or take a cooking lesson.

RELAX BEFORE BED

Make a point to have downtime before bed. Don’t spend the entire evening after the kids are in bed running around doing chores or wasting time on social media. Spend some quality quiet time – you owe it to yourself – before you head to bed.

EXERCISE

This can be as formal or informal as you want. It can be a family bike ride or a trip to the gym or even just putting on your favourite exercise video. Exercise is always uplifting, motivating and can help keep you productive for the rest of the day.