10 Ways to Find 10 Minutes of Me Time for Busy Moms
Today I want to talk about caring for Moms. After all, that is what this blog is all about!
Self-care is so important for Moms, but finding me time is really tough with a busy schedule and kids underfoot.
I’ve pulled together some great ways to find just a few minutes of me time that will help you recharge and refresh when you feel too stressed to make it through the day. Taking care of yourself above all helps make sure your family is cared for better since you have more focus and energy.
10 Ways To Find 10 Minutes Of Me Time for Busy Moms
Set your alarm earlier each day
This is one of the easiest ways to manage some alone time early in the day. A simple 10-15 minute difference in when your wake up alarm goes off can give you the time to relax and read a chapter of a book, or take an extra long shower. It might even give you the time you need to sit and drink a cup of coffee before the kids get out of bed.
Give yourself a mandatory lunch break
Moms who work from home or who are stay at home moms often eat on the go. Even those who work outside the home may find their lunch breaks filled with errands or even at their desk working through a break. Make lunch time just for yourself and not about folding clothes, answering messages, or catching up. Give yourself that lunch break and use a few minutes to listen to some music, read, or simply enjoy your meal in peace and quiet.
Utilize your Crockpot or pressure cooker for meal times.
Instead of rushing home to fix dinner for your family, take advantage of your Crockpot for meals that will be ready when you get home, or use a pressure cooker to cut cook times in half. This gives you spare time in the evenings to sit and relax, take a walk, or stop by and grab a coffee on the way home from work.
Make quiet time mandatory after dinner each night
Instead of having family TV time after meals, have a mandatory quiet time for everyone. This is time when you can go sit and relax while everyone else finds a quiet activity to occupy themselves.
Prep lunches in advance
For busy moms, early mornings and late nights seem to be the toughest to manage. Spend a bit of time on the weekends to prep things like snacks, drinks, treats, and even the ingredients for sandwiches so lunches are done faster. You can even assign lunch duty to older kids to handle for themselves so all you have to do is double check before they leave the house each day.
Take all of your breaks at work
Deadlines may frustrate you, and we have all been there when it felt like we couldn’t afford to take a break. The truth is you will work a lot better and feel better if you take that 10-15 minute break that is allowable. Take the time to walk around the office, take a walk outside, sit in the break room and sip coffee while you read, or simply turn off the lights in your office and lock the door for a break of peace and quiet.
Plan to arrive at appointments early
Pad your schedule with extra time before an appointment so you can sit in your car or the waiting room for a few minutes to simply relax and read, listen to music, or paint your nails.
Give your kids chores around the house
Want more time? Put your kids to work around the house. Teach them responsibility while freeing up time for you to spend on yourself by giving them a basic chore list. It is easy to find an extra 10 minutes of me time each day when your kids help you with basic things like cleaning their room, feeding the pets, or sorting laundry.
Just say no
Nothing kills our schedules like taking on too much. Whether it is volunteering for events at your kids school, or going out multiple times a week to run errands for others you need to set limits for yourself. Just say no to at least one request each week.
Organize your responsibilities.
One of the biggest hindrances to our ability to take me time comes with being disorganized. This includes things like taking on too many activities, or simply not having a good routine in place around the house. Sit down and get organized to give yourself some free time for self-care.
These ways to find 10 minutes of me time are simple and things you may already know to do. Sometimes, as a busy mom, we just need the reminder that we are just as important as those we are taking care of each day…
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Did you know my soon to be published book Busy Parenting101 is packed with tips such as the one above for Moms to handle their busy schedule? If you like what you read, sign up below to receive notification when Busy Parenting101 is ready!
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This has been such a hard area for me. Now that my son is 6, I find that finding those few minutes of time for me has become easier. I find I need a few minutes when we get home, unpack lunch bags, back packs, and to basically unpack my day. Those few minutes of quiet make such a difference for me!
One problem we all face is we can’t seem to say “no” often enough. Whether it’s a co-worker who needs a favor, a boss who needs overtime, a teacher who needs three dozen cookies tomorrow, or one of the kids who has a last minute game practice – we just add it to our list of obligations, and fret over it once we realize we have, once again, overbooked ourselves. So much of what we do isn’t necessary, yet we beat ourselves up over it and feel guilty. We should stop it right now or you’ll never have two minutes to call your own. Let us learn to say “no”.
Completely agree with that Alice. Most of our issues can be resolved by saying no. Thanks for stopping by!