Self care ideas

So yesterday I was having a bit of a down day, I felt like utter rubbish and was sat at home just feeling sorry for myself. When I start to feel like that, more often than not it’s because I need some way overdue me time and it’s a reminder to myself that I need to look after me as well.

Finding the time for yourself when you’re a parent is tricky. The only time I have to myself is when Kory goes to bed and by this point I’m way too tired to do anything anyway and usually just end up going to bed myself so that I can catch up on some zzzzzzzzz. And there’s nothing wrong with that but if that’s what I’m doing all the time then before I know it it’s been months since I last did anything that I enjoy that was just for me. Sometimes I feel like i’m stuck in the same routine of just waking up, seeing to Kory, tidying the house, playing all day, making dinner, tidying up again, putting Kory to bed and then doing the same thing all over again on repeat day in and day out and it’s so easy to get stuck in a loop. I love being a stay at home mum but when you start to feel fed up of the usual day to day life then it’s starts to feel more like a chore and that’s not how I want to feel. That’s when I know that it’s time for me to reboot.

I don’t know about you but if I do something that’s just for myself, I feel guilty. I feel like I shouldn’t be reading a book once Kory has gone to bed because there’s pots that need doing instead or I try to tell myself that if me and R go on a date, I’m palming Kory off which I know isn’t true because he’s always with me but this is just the way that my mind works. I’m sure some of you will know what I’m talking about and will have felt this way yourself at some point but it’s still so easy to feel all alone.

So I want to share with you a list of self care ideas that I recommend for when you’ve had a bad day or just find yourself needing a bit of time to recuperate. Here’s some things you can do to make yourself feel better again because self care is important, I need to remind myself that it isn’t selfish to take care of myself, we all need to look after ourselves so that we can look after our littles:

• Take a long, hot, relaxing soak in a bubble bath. Maybe even treat yourself to a bath bomb? Wash, shave and exfoliate. Make yourself feel human again!
• Escape by reading a good book.
• Listen to happy songs.
• Do absolutely nothing. Relax.
• Write down a list of things you’re grateful for.
• Write down a list of things that you like about yourself.
• Nap.
• Watch a feel good movie or tv show.
• Wear pyjamas.
• Get dressed up.
• Declutter.
• Go for a walk, get some fresh air.
• Have some alone time.
• Paint your nails.
• Drink a cup of tea.
• Apply a face mask.
• Do your hair.
• Eat chocolate.
• Pour yourself a glass of wine.
• Take a break from social media.
• Make something. Get crafty. Bake.
• Treat yourself to takeout.
• Light a scented candle.

I’ve come to realise that whilst I’m pretty good at taking care of my family and looking after the house, I’m not very good at caring for myself. I often find myself run-ragged and tend to neglect my own needs. So this blog post is a reminder to myself to slow down and practice more self care. And this reminder is as much for me as it is for you…