The art of taking time for yourself as a parent

At Even, we understand that taking time for yourself when you’re a parent isn’t always the easiest thing to do.

Between the various household chores, work, the children you have to take to school and their activities, the homework you have to supervise… life as a parent leaves little time to think about yourself and slow down. As a result, you’re running around all day… and you can’t find time to relax.

Here are our tips on how to slow down the machine, take your time, and care for yourself, your body and your mind.

Why is it important to take time for yourself?

It’s no secret that taking care of yourself gives you the best chance at taking care of your children the way they deserve. Making time to be relaxed and fully present is central to a good relationship with your children.

If you’re tired, how can you still be available to provide the emotional security and care they need? It’s only human to have limits and need to take a break to recharge your batteries. Taking time for yourself is about valuing yourself, and that’s healthy.

Better still, taking time for yourself can help you regain your self-confidence in those “down” moments that everyone experiences. Indulging yourself, just for yourself, from time to time, allows you to be more receptive to others. All for the best, then.

How to make time for yourself

.
If you’ve lost sight of how to take time for yourself and aren’t sure where your desires lie after months, or even years, of putting your family ahead of yourself, don’t panic. You just need to reconnect with yourself to find what makes you tick and makes you feel good.

To do this, there are a few avenues you can explore:

• Reconnect with activities that make you feel good: whether it’s getting back into a sport you love or taking up pottery, it’s up to you to find what suits you and makes you feel good. Follow your desires and ideas.
• Give yourself time for yourself through caring for your body (and mind): Have you been dreaming of going for a massage for months? Want to start meditating, but can’t find the time? Give yourself permission to experience that moment of relaxation.

How to find time for yourself as a mom

.

Plan your moments of relaxation

It’s not easy to manage your time when you’re a mum. That’s why, in order to free up those moments just for you, you’ll have to plan. Idle time doesn’t just happen randomly when you’re a parent! That’s why you’ll have to force things a little and integrate those moments of relaxation into your agenda. Without it becoming a burden or an additional stress, plan some free time just for you.

To do this, prioritise. Should that half hour you have between telework meetings really be used to start the next load of laundry? Or could you use it to relax with a short meditation session (or whatever!) you found on the internet? It’s up to you how you organise your day!

Allowing time to be relaxed and fully present will play a central role in the relationship you have with your children.

Create habits

Family life takes a lot of energy and often sets a frantic pace for us. So, even if the first three times you have to force yourself to take a 20 minute break, after the 4th or 5th time you will start to get into the habit. Accumulated, these moments you allow yourself on a daily basis will help you relax in the long run and reduce stress on a daily basis.

Seize every opportunity

.
If your parents, seeing how exhausted you look, offer to take the kids to their place for a weekend: accept. You can also organise with other single parents to take turns doing school drop-offs and pick ups, working together to free up your time.

How to take time for yourself without feeling guilty

.
Now that you have some ideas on how to free up time in your busy schedule, you’ll need to get yourself in the right frame of mind to make the most of these moments.

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you get back in touch with yourself:

Know how to “say no” without feeling guilty

.
This is the basis for taking full advantage of those moments of freedom that you allow yourself. Everyone should be able to take care of themselves without feeling guilty. If taking time for yourself means having to turn down an invitation (which you’re less thrilled about than the idea of being able to take a nice, quiet bath or do some sport), then don’t hesitate. Follow your desires, even if you are saying no just to say “yes” to a good night’s sleep!

Learning to delegate

Learning to delegate tasks, both at home and at work, is essential in life. By agreeing not to take on everything, you can free up precious minutes to relax or do something you enjoy. Delegating is good for your health. You take care of others all the time, they can take care of you once in a while, right?