3 Ways Moms Can Make Time for Themselves

It had been a long, hard day.

Homeschooling, dishes, work, disciplining, and laundry had taken every bit of energy that I had that day. I was worn out when I tucked my boys into bed that night. As a single mom, I’m often exhausted by the end of the day.

I remember talking to my mom earlier that day and she encouraged me to take care of myself. I understood what she meant but “me time” for single moms is often hard to come by.

We often hear that we need to put on our own oxygen mask first. I believe that this is true. It’s easier said than done but it is true. As moms, we have to take care of ourselves so that we can serve our families. I’m not talking about neglecting our responsibilities.

God calls us to be keepers of our home and we won’t honor Him by just ignoring the people He has given us to care for.

3 Ways for Moms to Make Time for Themselves

One thing I have learned as a mom is that if I want to take care of my children and love on them without feeling like I’m losing my mind, I need to take care of myself. My attitude starts to tank and I just feel miserable when I forget to include some me time in my schedule.

I wish that I could just wave a magic wand and have some extra (child-free) hours during the day to relax and take care of myself. I have no such wand so I’ve learned to just be intentional about taking care of myself.

If you are struggling to carve out some me time, keep reading because I’m going to share 3 ways that this single mom has found time for herself.

#1 – Add Yourself to Your Schedule!

I love my planner! I am one of those ladies who love to be organized. I have special pens and Post It notes and highlighters that help me keep my time in order. My calendar is full of appointments for my boys, deadlines for work, and one hour every week that simply says “Me Time.”

Yes, I put myself on my calendar.

I decided that for one hour on Fridays I would just focus on myself. I love to read so sometimes I soak in the tub with a good book. Write down a list of the things you like to do that are just for you and block off some time on your calendar.

#2 – Give Yourself Permission to do Nothing!

I do have a list of things I like to do on Friday evenings but sometimes I ignore that list and just do nothing. It’s hard! There is always something that needs to be done. It is almost painful for me to leave the dishes in the sink or ignore a deadline but sometimes I have to.

It’s okay to do nothing sometimes, especially if you are feeling stressed.

When you are so tired that you gave the kids cereal and ice cream for dinner because you just couldn’t stand on your feet to cook, go to bed early. Or put the kids to bed and then just sit on the couch in silence for a few minutes. Have an uninterrupted thought!

#3 – Reward Yourself

Have you recently reached a goal or finished a big project? Treat yourself!

Any time that I am working on a long project and I finally finish it I like to celebrate! I’m not talking about anything huge and expensive either. A bowl of my favorite ice cream because I cleaned out the refrigerator. A trip to Chipotle when we finish a school term is another favorite.

Find something that you are working on. Anything at all! Once you check it off your list, do something just for you to celebrate.

Your turn: Tell me something you like to do just for you.

Blessings,

LaToya, Women Finding God