Carving out 'Me' Time

When you become a parent suddenly time is no longer your your own. It starts from day one when you are desperate for that long soak in the tub but junior or princess has other ideas so end up taking them into the bathroom with you so you can at least not smell.  Going to the toilet becomes a joint adventure! You brush your teeth in 30 secs instead of the 3 minutes you are supposed to take. You brush your hands through your hair or end up putting your hair in braids so you don't look like a mad monster. Of course time in the bathroom to make ourselves look half decent increases as the kids get older and we get into the parenthood stride. But we still don't take time for ourselves just to recharge.

Why don't we do this? Its a guilt thing! Well definitely a guilt thing for me. I do the washing, the cleaning, the dusting, the clearing out, the grouting of the bathroom in order to avoid the guilt of actually taking some time for myself. You probably do the same or know someone that does the same.

Its a strange concept for us parents 'me' time. For some people 'me' time is a full blown weekend away or an entire day away from the pressures of life. But actually if we re-frame the way we think about 'me' time, it can be that 1hr journey into or from work with a good book or a journal; that 10 minutes with a warming drink before we have to pick up the kids; that 20 minute walk to the school gate on a nice day where we just take time to look around us and try to notice something different; that 5 minutes in the bathroom when you are doing your make up. Just taking a moment to stop and take a few deep breaths, that can be 'me' time.

Basically 'me' time can be anything you want it to be. So maybe we should all start to treasure the 15 minute, 10 minute or even 5 minute break that you might get in the day to just 'breathe'. We could think of it as stepping stone to getting that afternoon off or that weekend away. Perhaps practicing with smaller bits of time will lead to greater satisfaction when we do get those bigger bits of time.

Practice makes perfect right? 

Am off the practice some 'me' time. 

Thanks for sharing your 'me' time with me...