It doesn’t matter if you’re a stay-at-home mom, a career woman with children, a day care worker, or a single parent, everybody needs time for themselves. Put aside the stressors that are out there wanting women to do everything; get married, have babies, have a good career, be a great mother, daughter, sister, chauffeur, cook, cleaning person, etc., etc., etc. It’s no wonder women don’t seem tremendously happy every day. Most women walk around thinking about the next 40 things that have to get done before dinner time.
Okay, so it sounds good. But how can you see it through? What will you have to do to get some “me” time? First, realize it’s necessary. Everybody you take care of, whether it’s your kids, your spouse, or your clients, are affected by how you feel. Did you ever hear, “Happy wife; happy life”? That’s why. If the wife is happy, so is everybody else.
The thing is, you can’t wait for “me” time to magically appear on your calendar or on your to-do list. You have to schedule it. And be serious about it. Treat it like an appointment for one of your children. At first it will be hard, but ideally, you should have at least 30 minutes a day for yourself.
Here are some examples of “me” time. You don’t have to leave the house. You just have to leave the roles of wife, mother, daughter, sister, caregiver, driver, etc. If you only have 10 minutes, take it. Put your cell phone, and any other electronic devices somewhere in your house. Go outside. Drink a cup of coffee. Do nothing. Notice the trees, the breeze, the sky. Take a short walk. If you have a half-hour, do a word puzzle, leaf through a magazine, or read a few chapters in a book you’ve had for a year but haven’t opened yet. If you have a hour, go for a pedicure, take a “power” nap, or do whatever can help you relax and rejuvenate.
If you’re constantly on the go and never take “me” time, you may be a hazard to your own health. Everybody needs to recharge. Nobody can go through every day being frazzled, running from here to there, or constantly taking care of the kids yourself. You may just have to ask. Ask your neighbor to watch your kids for an hour. Ask your husband to do something for an afternoon with your children. Ask, and you shall receive. It’s that simple.
If you have a hard time knowing how to relax or recharge, it could turn into an ugly issue for you. You may want to reach out to a professional where you will be taught techniques to help you with relaxation and rejuvenating. Let the professionals at the Relationship Center of Orange County help you. Schedule your appointment online using our online scheduling tool, call us at (949) 393-8662, or text us.
