I’ve confessed that I find full time Mommyhood to be one tiring task. The perks and rewards are countless but being responsible for 2 tiny little lives 24/7 exhausts me. Somehow I always knew that I’d need to find a way to carve out time for myself within my stay at home routine to both: #1. Retain my own sense of identity and self and #2. Relax.
We live in a child centered culture and it is easy to fixate on our children and forget about what is important to ourselves. Being a stay at home Mom can be isolating and I know some Moms who feel they’ve struggled to retain their sense of self after having children. My blog has become my “outlet” to connect with the outside the world. Although I may get stressed out managing my website, it truly is something I do for “me.” So in the end, I think this is really “healthy” stress in my life. I adore talking about products, writing reviews, twittering and facebooking with friends and other bloggers. Plus, my blog has given me a pathway to stay connected to my professional interests while also enabling me to develop a vast and virtual network of friends.
Where I struggle is when it comes to finding the actual time to “relax.” As all Moms know there just isn’t enough time in the day to do it all. My top relaxing strategies include: reading, watching a favorite TV show 1-2x per week, date night- as a girls night out or with my hubby, exercising, and just “being a kid” with the kids – digging in the dirt, riding kiddie amusments, and seeing the world with their eyes.
Reading books is my number one way to relax. I’m an obsessive reader and pretty much love the chance to escape to another world or story every evening in bed before I fall asleep. Exercise is also another fabulous way that I feel I can de-stress and do something for myself. But of course, exercising is not really “relaxing.” I like the concept of creating a “day for me” (or truthfully 2-3 hours!) for a manicure, facial, or pedicure, but I swear the few times I’ve done this in the last 4 years, all I feel is guilt during the entire appointment about how long the process is taking. I end up leaving feeling more stressed knowing I spent money and could have been doing something more valuable with my time. So, when it comes to relaxing, reading is the one thing I don’t feel guilty about as it’s so easy to just pick up a book for 30 minutes before falling asleep and savor my sweet escape.
When do you find “me” time? How do you unwind? Or do you find that you never really relax? I’d love to hear your tips and thoughts on finding ways to de-stress and rediscover yourself.
Disclosure: This blog post is sponsored by Healthy Choice. Please visit http://www.spokespersonwanted.com/ for more information on Healthy Choice and to print a free $1 off coupon.