Looking after yourself and self care
Parenting

Looking after yourself and self care

This is a term or phrase that I’ve heard a lot lately especially in the parenting and blogging world. Looking after yourself and self care. It might seem obvious what these mean and that we are consciously doing them. However I tend to disagree, I think that a lot of people out there are taking on the world, or trying to be Supermum and are taking very little time for themselves.

Now that might seem like a weird thing to say. However in today’s world where there is so much pressure to have the best home, and to be the best parent, it may feel like there is simply no time for you to be you, or to dedicate some time to self-care.

I wanted to write this post to share some of reasons why it’s important to look after yourself and to self care.

Why it’s important to look after yourself and practice self care

  • First of all it’s really good for us. It’s good for our souls and our sanity to spend some time looking after yourself. By spending time focusing on and taking time for ourselves could prevent or ease problems with mental health. If you do find that you need help you can findĀ mental health support near you.
  • Secondly it’s really important to share the load. There is a lot of talk in the media right now about “doing it together”, so that the burden of looking after the children, home and work do not fall onto one person. This could cause feelings of resentment, being overwhelmed, and consequently lead to stress.
  • Thirdly as much as we try to be, we can’t be Supermum all the time. I know that I have been hugely guilty of this. Trying to juggle too many balls and moving parts. Whether that’s childcare, family, home and work, we can’t do everything. Life has got slightly easier for me as I have recently quit my job to work on a freelance basis. This has removed a huge pressure, but has added a small financial pressure into my life.

How to do it

  • Take time out for you. This could be doing anything you wish. It could be going for a spa treatment, having your nails done, going shopping, going for run or even just having a long relaxing bubble bath. The most important thing is making time for yourself with no interruptions, and put that phone away.
  • Share the responsibilities at home and with the childcare. Divide and conquer the chores by setting up a rota or taking responsibility for a different room each day. That might sound crazy but it will really help to get the rest of the family involved in the household chores. Last night my husband and I discussed setting up a cleaning rota as we are thinking about no longer having a cleaner. My concern is that all the household chores will become my responsibility again, however perhaps a rota can resolve this.
  • Take time out from social media. Being a blogger and also hopefully working in social media management, I am glued to my phone all day. I’m sure that a lot of people reading this are too. I find that I get so overwhelmed with all the notifications, Instagram Stories, and Facebook posts. I have to remind myself what value I am gaining by constantly being on my phone, it’s just making me feel that I should also be doing these things. So everyday I try to have a break from my phone.
  • Rest and relax as much as you can. We are such busy people especially if we are looking after small children and not sleeping much. It’s ok to spend time sitting on the sofa watching TV or to want a lie-in at the weekend. I think we need to remember all the effort we’ve put in and therefore we are entitled to a break every now and again.
  • Do something for you. This pretty much sums up all the above points, but you should do something for you. Do something that makes you happy and benefits you. Do something that makes you smile. It could be anything. For me that’s going to events and starting to work with new brands, as that what’s important for me at the moment.

We all lead such busy lives, and it’s important to take the time out to reflect and make sure that we are doing something that is good for us. I’m really guilty of not doing this, but I think I’m getting better at it. I have to remember that I am my own person, and I need to take time out to be me. As well as making sure that I am looking after myself.

When you have your own time how do you look after yourself? I would love to hear from you.

Claire x

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