Cook meals. Clean the house. Feed the children. Wash the dishes. Bring the kids to school. Go to work. Fetch the kids. Buy food. Wash the clothes. Press the clothes. Are these activities part of your everyday to-do list as a mother? Probably, they are and you might still have a lot more in your list. Looks like you’re one super mom!
Amidst of all these activities to accomplish in one day, do you ever take some time for yourself? Most working mothers I know, say they no longer have time for themselves. They have only twenty-four hours and within the day they need to take care of the household needs, the children, their job (on top of all these) and their husband. Does this mean super mothers cannot have some time for themselves away from their busy schedule?
Of course, super mothers like you should have a “time out.” Mothers are also humans and they should give themselves time to rest, relax and recharge from the stress and tension of their everyday concerns. If mothers do not relieve themselves of stress, there are long-term consequences that might not just affect the mother, but the whole family as well. Mothers can be affected physically, physiologically and psychologically by high levels of stress. Studies show that diseases are caused by stress. No wonder, you experience headaches, backaches, muscle pains, sleep abnormalities, high blood pressure and a lot more. Now if illness strikes you, who would take care of your family in the long run, Super Mom?
But what can you do? Should you neglect other activities that need to be accomplished just to have a break for yourself? Do you feel guilty just thinking about it? Well, you shouldn’t feel guilty about taking time for yourself for it would also benefit your family. Having a break or a time out will allow you to reduce the stress that you feel so you won’t be grouchy and you won’t quickly snap at your children. Time for yourself will allow you look at yourself, your family and your job. You can reconsider your priorities and goals in life and focus on what is most important. It will also be good to hide away before the stress causes you tot ‘explode’ on the people you love. Relieving yourself of negative emotions will reduce the risk of hurting your loved-ones.
So, you’ve already decided to take some time out. Now what? Does it mean you have to take one day off away from your home and work to go someplace else? No, it doesn’t really mean that way. Having a fifteen-minute to a one-hour break everyday will already be considered a time out for you. At this time you can read an inspirational book, listen to your favourite song, go for a walk, watch an entertaining television show, engage yourself on a hobby, eat your favourite food, or just take a nap. There are countless possibilities for you to enjoy that short break. You don’t really have to hire a babysitter or ask someone to watch over the kids, for you can do this while your children are sleeping at home or when having a break at work. It is recommended that you write down the things you need to do for the day, schedule a time for each activity according to importance then, block off some time for yourself.
Aside from short breaks everyday, you can also have weekly time outs. Once a week or once every two weeks, you can go out for dinner with your husband, eat lunch with your friends or colleagues, visit tourist spots or even go to the spa. Again, there are many possible things you can do to spend your de-stressing time. You can choose to be alone so you have time for contemplation or reflection or you can bring along your husband for a chance to bond with him.
Don’t wait for another day, week, month or year. Give yourself some time out and you’ve got to do it now!