It’s not always easy being a mom. But even a mom with an extremely hectic schedule can find a few minutes for herself and learn the habit of “taking five” every chance she gets.
All you need is five minutes of doing what you want to do to get from the end of your reactive rope to a calm, centered place. You deserve this and a whole lot more, mom. So don’t neglect yourself, even as you strive to care for those you love.
Most moms never get enough down time. Multiply this by ten for every additional child, traveling spouse, in-crisis extended family member, volunteer commitment, and unforeseen schedule delay and it seems like any day can easily become a high-pressured day for your average mama.
For days where everything seems to go off-course and nothing seems to go the way you had hoped, five minutes of downtime is not enough, but it’s somewhere to start. And certainly every mom deserves much more than five minutes to herself each day. But, five minutes may be the most time a busy mom can grab in the next few hours. According to a study in the UK, over fifty percent of moms said they could go weeks without a single minute of time to themselves.
So, if your day has gone off the tracks-again-and you need to get your day back on track, grab the next five minutes you can and bogart them all for yourself. Here’s a list of ways to take five when you need it most. Get in the habit of giving yourself little breaks throughout the day and you will reclaim your calm, cool, and collected self. And isn’t this the type of parent we all long to be?
Sit:
Sip a cup of coffee or tea
Eat a piece of quality chocolate
Write everything in your head on one sticky note
Read a meditation or poem a day
Stare out the window at nature
Move:
Stand in the middle of the kitchen and twist, bend and shake
Go outside and stretch your legs a bit
Lie down on a carpet and try some spontaneous yoga poses
Go to your room and hit the bed with a pillow ten times
Do ten quick sit-ups and ten push-ups
Mentally escape:
Research the answer to a nagging question on the Internet
Pin a few photos that reflect your interests on Pinterest
Connect with three friends on Facebook
Upload photos you’ve taken lately to Instagram
Climb in bed, curl up, and rest for five minutes
Chill:
Read three articles at your favorite magazine website
Watch some video clips at your favorite TV show website
Go to the Internet Movie Database and watch new movie trailer or two
Peruse your favorite section in an online newspaper
Skim blog posts by people you admire that were delivered to your e-mail
Center yourself:
Pull all the shades, dim the lights, and turn on soothing music
Arrange and rearrange flowers in vases throughout your home
Read the long version of your monthly horoscope
Draw tarot cards and think about the message
Meditate or pray
Create:
Collage
Knit
Paint
Scrapbook
Cook/Bake
Journal
Arrange Flowers
