WELLBEING

Me time!

When you're feeling overtired and stretched too thin, it may seem incomprehensible to squeeze in a little 'me time.' But the times when you feel like you can't possibly spare a minute for yourself, are likely the times when you need 'me time' the most. Amy Morin

“Self-care, me time? You have got to be kidding, right? When do you possibly imagine that is going to happen?” 

It is such a normal response especially when the notion of ‘me time’ or self-care seems so far out of reach or you have come to believe, like social media has led us to believe that self-care is hours at a day spa, massages, and pampering. Finding not only the money to pay for this self-care, but more so the time seems out of reach for many of us.

When my babies were young, I called in to a friend’s one day and as we sat down to chat with a coffee in hand, it dawned on me that I couldn’t remember the last time I’d drank a coffee while it was still HOT! While I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions, that year I did make a goal…to drink my coffee each morning while it was still warm. And to this day, I’ve stuck to it. I love my morning coffee, so taking the few minutes to actually enjoy it sets my mood. 

The reality is, that self-care isn’t necessarily elaborate. It’s sometimes hard to believe how easy and ‘noneventful’ me time needs to be in order to have a profound difference on your mental health and in turn the mental health of your family.

Just 5-10mins a day, set aside for you is maybe all you need. 

• stretching your body for 5 mins before the alarm usually goes off
• drinking your coffee on the back deck looking out at the world versus while you are on the run
• giving the kids their afternoon tea outside whilst you take 10 mins inside to sit and take some quiet minutes to yourself 
• giving yourself those last few minutes of the day to put the phone down and pick up a good book before you turn the light off and get some sleep

Making a conscious choice to prioritise your wellbeing can make a world of difference in how you handle stress, the conversations you have with those around you and particularly the internal conversation you may have with yourself. I know your family would love you for it. If ‘me time’ isn’t a part of your world right now I invite you to play with adding some into your day or week. Keep it as simple and easy as possible. Don’t over commit, success is important in the beginning stages of setting a new habit.

Take a read of this great article over at Parenting Now to read more about the benefits of self care for you and your family. https://parentingnow.org/self-care-is-crucial-for-the-whole-familys-health/

Enjoy the holidays!

Nicki Chalmers.