Motherhood | 10 Self-Care Activities For Mums

Having a little one means a whole day can pass without you having even a minute to yourself. This happening day in day out can actually lead to burnout. You forget to live, to go out and do things, meet people and have new experiences. The end result is that you become a very cranky, unmotivated human being.

When my daughter was younger, I remember feeling so overwhelmed by this thing called motherhood that I became unbearable to be around. I would snap at people just because I hadn't had enough sleep in a long time. I lost my mojo to blog because I felt that I didn't have the time to do it. I stopped keeping in touch with my friends because, who has the time? What I didn't realize then was that I needed to make time for myself other than wait for the time to crop up. Hence, I would ask my sister or mum to watch Elly for a short time just so that I could have a few minutes to do me. As a result I found that I became more cheerful meaning that my relationship with my family and friends improved tremendously. I was also better able to look after my daughter.
Below are 10 self-care ideas drawn from my own experiences, which I believe will help you when you need to relax and have some me time. They are listed randomly and not in order of importance.

1. Read.
Take the time to catch up on your reading. There are tons of books, blogs and magazines just waiting for you to explore. And who knows, you might get a lot of inspiration for your day to day life from here.

2. Listen to inspiring music. 
I like listening to upbeat music in the morning. This just sets me up for the day.

3. Give yourself a manicure/pedicure. 
When I see my nails looking so neat and polished, I feel so put together.

4. Put on makeup. 
Do this even when you are just hanging around in the house and see how much better you feel.

5. Exercise.
I find an intense 10-15 minute workout not only keeps me fit but also keeps anxiety at bay. Also, with a little one, it might be difficult to spare more than 15 minutes before someone comes to see what mum is up to.

6. Snuggle under a blanket and watch a movie.
Or catch up with your favourite series. Add a glass of wine or a mug of hot chocolate and you have the perfect Sunday afternoon activity.

7. Catch up with friends and relatives. 
Go out and visit those people you have been neglecting. You don't have to go out, you can enjoy a sumptuous home cooked meal as you talk.

8. Watch & discover new YouTube videos. 
You can watch all sorts of videos from entertainment to educational and also find YouTubers whose lives are similar to yours.  This can be a great source of inspiration.

9. Try a new recipe.
I find cooking so relaxing. I like to look for and try new recipes particularly those whose ingredients I already have.

10. Go for a walk or a drive with no destination in mind.
Make an adventure of it and discover new areas in your city that you didn't know before.

What other activities do you take part in when you want to have some me time? Do share so that we can help each other.

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