Is "Me Time" for Mom Selfish?

Last week I talked about how to set goals as moms.

But the truth is, you’re probably so busy keeping the world around you functioning, you stopped reading the blog and immediately went back to caring for other people.

We need to talk about how taking time for yourself is not only not selfish, it’s a better way to care for people around you.

My “Me Time”

YES! Physiotherapy is starting to relieve some pain. I’m not 100% but I can walk around the block without coming home in tears.

This isn’t my first time in PT. It’s never an easy thing to work through. There is real pain and weakness, and it affects you more than just physically. Your mind adapts to survive and you have to undo that, too.

I’m committing 6 hours a week to going. That’s no easy feat in an already busy schedule.

But on the other hand I’m so glad I’m doing it for myself. It’s no venti iced mocha, a book, and the afternoon to myself, but it’s what I need for this phase of my life.

Your “Me Time”

It’s easy to look at something like PT and think, “Well that’s important, so of course you should make time for it.”

But it’s no more important than anything else you might need to restore your mind, body, and/or soul. How much more help could you be to your kids, or anyone, if you weren’t slowly letting yourself fall apart?

I encourage you to set aside some time for yourself. (Not just shutting the door to the bathroom while little hands reach from the other side.) I mean carving a reasonable chunk of time to do what you really need.

If you’re not sure what you’d like to do, start with committing 30 minutes to reflecting on your dreams, passions, and personal needs. Make it a regular thing until you have some ideas, then start spending that time on what makes you happy.

Maybe a reasonable amount of time to you is 30 minutes once a week when your partner is around to lend a hand, or maybe it's 15 minutes every morning before the kids get up. The important thing is to schedule the time to do it.

When can you take time for yourself, and what will you do?