Today’s post was written by South African mom bloggers Caitlyn de Beer & Robyn Krause who blog at Flourishing Fit Moms.
Mommy Me-time. Are you serious?
Waking to a beeping alarm clock or a crying baby, then prepping school lunches whilst doing your hair (a messy bun will have to do, again) and rushing out the door. A long day at the office, fetching kids, a workout on the floor at home (if you’re lucky) then dinner and bedtime stories, and by the time you collapse onto the couch, it’s already 8pm and your bedtime is approaching fast. So when and how, darling, do you envision me fitting in ‘me-time’?
As a working woman this scenario above is likely to trigger a giggle as hopefully bits of this resonate with you. You see being a woman means many things, but one of the greatest realities is the amount of roles that you play in your day to day life. Be it entrepreneur, employee, mum, gran, wife, girlfriend, partner or boss, you darling, have taken on a mountain of responsibility and few of these roles involve looking after the very being behind the magic. And YES magic you create, and maintain, daily!
At the core of ‘me time’ is the ability to admit love for one-self. And this is often where this dilemma begins. You see to prioritize ‘me’ means to place my existence on a pedestal. It means to enter a mind space where YOU are worth investing in, where your body is worth respecting, where your mind is a safe space for you to find comfort.
Many of us mums have learnt the art of selflessness in our quest to master motherhood but we have in fact lost ourselves in this process. There’s an age old saying that ‘You cannot pour from a empty cup' and yet daily, we do. Share on XMany of us mums have learnt the art of selflessness in our quest to master motherhood but we have in fact lost ourselves in this process. There’s an age old saying that ‘You cannot pour from a empty cup’ and yet daily, we do. But if we’re honest with ourselves how often is the pouring done out of frustration, irritability, in rush or with a sigh? When last did you parent your child/children being fully present, or chat to your partner without interruption, or spend a day at work without complaining? It’s as if, in our attempt to master it all, we often forget to love the ‘me’ behind the magic.
Me time begins in the space where your thoughts lie. A simple decision to make healthy decisions when nourishing your body, to ask for help and use that time for a hot bath, to prioritize in exercise (even if it means cutting it short as your toddler can only walk up the street and back) – this, Beautiful, is ‘me time’. It’s admitting to yourself that YOU matter. And you do, OH, you do!!
Motherhood is hard enough without sacrificing yourself in the process. Make a decision today to prioritise you and your happiness. A cuppa tea in the sun, a short workout, a bath, a glass of wine with dinner or even asking someone to babysit for you in a weeks time and organizing a girls night out or a date night. Make time to fill your cup, Beautiful; remembering that a happy mum equals a happy home.
We’re Kit & Robs the co-founders of Flourishing Fit Moms, both fit, healthy moms of 2 (each). Robs with her Masters in Sports medicine and Kit with her Honours in Psychology, we are passionate about active living and developing a positive self-image during pregnancy and after-baby. We provide home workout programs that are affordable, doable and effective for the everyday mom.
Oh wow. I seriously need to learn how to take time out. This mom of 5 could get some serious relaxation here!!!!!
This is so important. I guess taking the time to read this post can also count as “me-time”? 🙂 Thank you for this post. I think most mothers and women need this reminder.
lovely, it is important to make time to fill our cups
Our family will thank us for it