Why is it so hard to set some time aside for ourselves? I thought I did a good job taking care of myself. While I do take care of myself physically by working out, I have come to realize that’s just not enough. There are other parts of myself that are being neglected, and this neglect has been wearing me down.
As a stay-at-home mom, there are tons of things that I have to get done around the house. Once my kids rush out the door to school it’s a race for me to get done as much as possible before I pick them back up. I will add to my crazy list my own school homework and studying time. By the end of the day, I’m just exhausted. But instead of relaxing, I’m getting things ready for the next day.
I have recently decided that I will do my best each day to add something that will make my day a little brighter. I will just take some time for my mental and spiritual being to breathe.
I will say yes to that book.
I love reading, but sometimes I’m just too burned out from my studying that opening another book isn’t appealing anymore. To avoid that, I pick books that will transport me to a different time. My favorites are fiction and thrillers. A good book can take my mind away from the chaos but it can also be very addicting.
I said yes to that massage.
My muscles are always sore by the end of the day. Every day I dream of getting a massage. I always brush the thought by saying “I’m just too busy for that” or “I’d rather spend the money on something my kids need”. Because their needs are always more important than mine. One day I just decided to book that massage and it was AMAZING! If you haven’t booked a massage yet, do it! You won’t regret it.
I will say yes to being off social media.
I have to be honest, putting my phone away is hard. I do waste so much of my time scrolling through all of these apps. And I enjoy it. I also need to keep my phone close just in case my kids’ school calls. So I try to disable the app notifications for at least 30 minutes each day. I fail to do this half the time, but I will just give myself props for trying.
Saying yes to our needs can be a hard task. As moms, we are always trying to get things done for our family. We don’t realize how much we need the extra time for ourselves until we are burned out. If I want to be present for the people in my life, I need to be present for myself too.
So I encourage you to say yes to you more often.
