10 tips/ self love for mums

Welcome to The 10 tips Series – where Tina Gray {dot} Me readers and myself will share with you what we know. Scroll right to the bottom to find out how you can submit your own 10 tips.

In this post, Peggy shares her 10 tips about self love for mums…

 

As mums we tend to put everyone else’s needs ahead of our own at times. While balancing work with motherhood, being wife, sister, daughter and friend, we tend to forget our own needs and often place the needs of others ahead of our own. But why? In our busy lives we should in fact be nurturing ourselves more!

I have recently started to focus on the fundamentals of self-love and the power of it in our day-to-day lives. By applying self-love and providing ourselves with the attention we need to retain calm and balance in our busy lives, not only do we nurture our own soul we provide strength and balance for our families. And we all know that a frazzled mum is of no use to anyone!

Here are a few tips I have put into place. If applied consistently you will notice a calmer, more (self) loved you:

1. learn to say no to invitations. At times the idea of attending a function or dinner or birthday can seem enticing. But often the day comes around and all you want to do is rest or spend quality time with your family. Saying no to invitations is not rude, nor will you miss out on something you can’t enjoy at a later stage. Listen to your soul; if it says no, say no.

2. put aside chores to enjoy small moments. You know what I mean, the weekend has arrived and you have two days to get chores and housework done. Next thing your child is begging you to go to the beach or to play games. Leave the housework, I guarantee it will still be there waiting for you tomorrow. The small moments are what life is truly about. Clean floors and folded laundry won’t bring you joy like a smiling happy child will. And if you truly let yourself, you too will enjoy the fun and games.

3. use ‘me’ time wisely. Don’t organise too many things in limited spare time. If you have an afternoon to yourself don’t overbook yourself. Make time to sit and just enjoy the peace and quiet. Grab a picnic rug and a book and go sit somewhere quiet to spend some quality time alone. Me time doesn’t have to mean hair appointments and spa visits and shopping trips and coffee jaunts all crammed into an afternoon (although sure, if this is what brings you joy go ahead). Me time is best enjoyed slowly.

4.  take responsibility for your time. Want to exercise? Make time. Wake up 30 minutes earlier to go for a brisk walk. Want to eat better? Take time to plan your meals and make time to cook. If you are a blogger and enjoy social media, accept that these chew at time and learn to switch off when you need to. Prioritise your needs to make room for the things you know will make your life that little bit easier.

5. sleep. We all know sleep is imperative to wind down and recuperate. The excitement of staying up late wears off pretty quickly when morning and sleep deprivation comes around so switch off early to get enough sleep. If you have little non-sleepers, switch off when they go down and get the sleep you can. Again, this goes back to taking responsibility for your time and how you spend it.

6. do more of what you love. I am not a fan of tv so I just don’t watch it. I find the time I would spend watching tv could be spent doing something else I really enjoy, like blogging, reading or writing. Cut out useless activities you don’t really enjoy and you’ll discover an extra hour here and there to do what brings you most joy.

7. ask for help. Mums are renowned for just getting things done but every so often a helping hand goes a long way. Even if you just ask your child to help put some dishes away or sweep the floor, you will find the support very helpful. If you are a sole parent ask a friend or relative to give you a hand now and again. You will find once you ask you will most likely receive offers in future.

8. don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you find yourself drowning in responsibility let go of something you can afford to let go of. For instance, if you previously put your hand up for a committee or to be part of something you now find you have little time for, let it go. Family and home life first.

9. give yourself a break. When things are feeling a bit tough and you’re finding all the tasks you regularly perform tedious, don’t be harsh on yourself and force yourself to keep at it. Stop and take a breather. Put tedious tasks aside, tomorrow is a new day and today your soul may just be screaming out for some much-needed TLC.

10. remember how amazing you are! Don’t compare your efforts to others’ achievements, you are doing your best and you are doing a great job. Being mum, partner, daughter, sister, friend, employee/employer is a lot of hard work sometimes, so many people to keep happy and not because they necessarily expect it but because that’s what us mums do. We function at a high level to keep all balls balancing nicely in the air. But don’t forget to focus on you. Your soul still needs regular nurturing and reminding of how fabulous you are, so go ahead and remind it!

About Peggy – Peggy Saas blogs at cake crumbs & beach sand and recently released her first eBook titled The Self-Love Guide for the Working Mum. She places a strong focus on living a balanced, calm life and hopes to inspire other mums to understand the power of self-love.

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Tagged as: 10 tips, break, cake crumbs and beach sand, chores, help, love, me time, mums, peggy Saas, responsibility, say no, self love, sleep, small moments, you are amazing, your time