Is there a better day to focus on yourself, to show yourself some love and compassion, than Valentine's day?
Being a mum is HARD work. Whether you have a newborn, toddler or teenager, their needs always come before yours even when your extremely tired and running on fumes, and it's so easy to forget about yourself.
It's time to lift your head up out of the parapit, step away from the daily routine (just for a little chunk out of ONE day) to really focus on you, your mental well-being and health. Sure, nothing will be fixed in one day, but you'll feel like yourself again, and you'll feel happy. You might find that introducing some intentional self-love into your daily routine is really easy and simple. When we take care of ourselves, we come back better and stronger for everyone else (aka those littles!).
So we say, no, we DEMAND, that you should take some me-time this Valentine's day, mama - from 5 minute self-care to meditation and de-stressing, you must have a read of our tips at least. You may be sceptical, you may think that you'll struggle to find the time, time in the day and/or time away from the children (or big ones as the case may be) there will be something for you here!
Sleep
Ok, we know that this is at the top over every "mum must do this list" BUT it's so important! If you aren't regularly getting 7.5 hours a night of sleep, this may be the number one thing that you could do to improve your energy, lucidity and well, make you a more pleasant person to be around (if we're going to be frank with you). If you can't get your sleep all at once, and hey, we know waking up every 3 hours for a night feed, or a toddler crawling into your bed at the crack of dawn isn't really condusive to a complete night's sleep...so we say, don't underestimate the power of a good nap. Research shows that naps can improve performance, vigilance, and even memory - you might remember why you walked into the kitchen after-all.
Hydrate!
The number two self-care habit you should form is to stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water will help your body and mind feel rejuvenated and healthy. Forget cold cups of coffee from 3 hours ago. Treat yourself to a big water bottle and keep it with you at all times, try and sip from it little and often.
Care about skincare
You'll no doubt have a stash of face masks, lotions and potions that you received when your little one arrived. You've either been saving them for a special occasion or you've not had time... what's stopping you now? Break them out and slather yourself up for complete indulgence.
Prep tea ahead of time
While you may like cooking, this is going to be a day that excludes any kind of food prep or major clean up at the end of a busy day. Dig out the slow cooker and get yourself a simple, comforting meal bubbling away so you have a bit of extra time carved into your day to take care of you.
Ditch the notifications!
Do you really need to hear it every time an email lands in your inbox, or your friend from year's ago has posted on Facebook? Turn off as many of those noisy alerts as you can on your phone and experience the joy of not being wrenched away from what you're doing to check your phone. Set aside a specific time in the day to check all your emails and notifications, perhaps at lunch time, or after the children go to bed to do it all at one time.
Wallow in the bath
Get the children in bed, try and make sure that they're well off into the land of nod so you can enjoy a warm, relaxing bath in peace, with no disturbances. We love a good bath bomb, there's no better way for aromatherapy, relaxation and warming up - especially with the freezing temperatures out there!
Music
Put on your favourite play list and have a dance party. Or a crying session. (Whichever works best for you in that moment.)
Meditate
There are a few ways you can practice meditation:
- Take 5 minutes out of your day and reflect on what makes you happy this season.
- Find a meditation video on Youtube and follow it in a peaceful, tranquil room in the house.
- Download a meditation app, we recommend Mindful Meditations if you're a new mum or have very young children.
- Calm your mind and practice a little yoga, a 20 minute routine on youtube could do wonders for your self-esteem.
Get outside
Go for a walk, exercise can be just as good for your mind as it is for your body. Though you might not always feel like you have time to hit the gym or to throw yourself into an intensive workout, fortunately a brisk walk in the outdoors can be an excellent self care strategy.
How do you practice self care? Share with us on Facebook or Instagram.
