Find Time For A Break By Looking At Your Week In This Simple Way

Take a break, they say. Practice self-care they say. Fit your own oxygen mask first they say. Meanwhile, you can’t even find time to cut your own nails. So how do we find the time to rest?

The answer is in the numbers

When you look at time in this way, you’ll be surprised at how out of proportion your time is being spent taking care of everyone else, but yourself.

For example – there are 1440 minutes in just one day and there are 168 hours in a week. Yet every waking hour is spent loving, feeding, cleaning, settling, and nurturing your new baby or dealing with many of the physical repercussions of birth.

So, let’s say you took 10 mins for yourself one day – and gradually build that up to at least 2 hours per week. That works out to be less than 1% of your day or just over 1% of your entire week. 

That leaves 99% of the time to spend on ALL the things that new parents find themselves needing to do (which includes sleep!).

Even if those numbers don’t convince you, rest assured your baby will be none the wiser, and everything will still get done around the house, in its own time. Taking time for yourself is the one thing you won’t regret – and through rest, you will find you will have more energy to give to your family.

Here are some practical ideas on how to get some rest:

• Time Away – get out of the house. Do something good for yourself (and the planet) – order a coffee in a cup to have in, sit and be present for every sip. You could set a lunch date or night out with friends. As your baby gets older, consider even a night away.
• Permission to not be helpful – delegate responsibilities equally, organise your partner to take the kids out first thing in the morning so you can sleep in, or purchase something time saving, like a dryer or a robot vacuum.
• Do Something “Unproductive” – watch a guilty pleasure TV series or Movie, read a book, or listen to some music while staring at a wall.
• Reconnect with art and nature – go for a walk and reflect on your year, or time as a parent. Immerse yourself in something otherworldly at the art gallery.
• Solitude to recharge – don’t be afraid to spend time out on your own. See a movie at the cinema or lie under a tree in the park. Everyone is so all-consumed in their own lives; they aren’t judging you for being there on your own. We swear!
• Take a break from responsibility – go to a party, solo. Have a sleepover at a friend’s house. Just get away – and reconnect with who you were before kids.
• Create stillness to decompress – take a bath, put on white noise and close your eyes, or listen to a meditation app. Open the window or walk outside so you can listen to the noises around you.
• Go to a safe space – a friend’s house or a member of your family. Just somewhere where you will be nurtured. Some even find getting their hair done a wonderfully replenishing experience. Don’t feel pressure to make chit chat! Just read a magazine and let someone take care of you for a change.
• Alone time at home – sleep in, cook yourself something delicious, read a book and enjoy the peace.

Conclusion

By reconnecting with you who are, how you are feeling and with people who know what you are going through, or just those who truly love and understand you – it helps put our day-to-day lives in perspective. Time out gives our thoughts a chance to unscramble. By giving ourselves more mental space, we, in turn, have more patience and energy to give to others. So, give yourself a break. It only takes 1% or your day or week to make a huge difference.