Making Time for Me {How I Do Self-Care}

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As moms, we are all guilty of putting the needs of our families first. In recent years, there has been more of a push for moms to take time for themselves and practice self-care – after all, if you run yourself down taking care of everyone but yourself, you won’t be much use to anyone.

But putting it into practice is easier said than done.

self-care

For example, I have been talking about booking a night away by myself in a hotel since the start of the pandemic, when I was taking care of my kids and trying to work full-time and my husband was still required to go into his office. Every time my husband asks me what I want for my birthday, Mother’s Day, or our anniversary, I say that I just want a night away where I don’t have to make dinner, bathe the kids, and put them to bed. But when it comes time to make that plan I talk myself out of it because I’d rather sleep in my own bed, or I’d miss the kids too much.

An entire night away sounds great in theory, but in practice, I just don’t think it’s the right thing for me to do to take care of my needs.

Maybe a night away isn’t the right thing for me, but I do try to do things for myself as much as I can. I go out for a 2-3 hour run every weekend to get some uninterrupted time to myself (or, even better, with my mother runner friends). I meet friends for dinner (though not as often as I’d like). Sometimes my “me time” is a solo trip to the grocery store or a day of work with the kids at daycare. It’s not the most exciting way to decompress, but it works for me.

Another thing that helps me escape and spend time on myself is reading a book. I always have one on the go and make sure I read every night before bed to help me decompress. Or I’ll put on a podcast while making dinner or take the dog for a walk to get out of the house and get some fresh air. Making time for myself looks different every day, and that’s ok.

What kinds of things do you do to put yourself first?