Running on Empty

I was recently talking with a fellow mother of two who was feeling totally defeated by motherhood. The signs were clear: snapping at the kids, constant sighing, lack of interest or enthusiasm for anything going on around her, black circles under her eyes and an absent smile. She was exhausted. The supplies in her love jug had been totally depleted and were not being topped up at all...she was running on empty! It got me thinking about some strategies that can be implemented TODAY to starting topping up our own love jugs to ensure we don’t run out... 

1. Take a nap: If your children are old enough, lock up the house, pop on a DVD and sneak away for a 15 minute power nap. Set your alarm for 25 minutes time as this will allow you the opportunity to settle down, fall asleep and get the much needed 15 minutes of napping time. If you are in the baby phase SLEEP WHEN YOUR BABY SLEEPS!!!!! A golden nugget of advice that most new mums (including me at the time) ignore.
2. Get on the floor and have a wrestle with the kids. They will laugh, you will laugh and it will release those feel good hormones to help you get through your day.
3. Get outside! As well as the benefits of outdoor play for your children (more on that later), getting outside for a walk, a swim or to kick the footy will do wonders for your mood.
4. Don’t cook tea: We all work hard to ensure our children have healthy options at every meal but do you know what? It wont kill you, or the kids, if you get takeaway once in a while. If you don’t feel like cooking, treat the family to fish and chips and enjoy the break. A real trick to this break is to leave the kids with Dad while you sneak away and enjoy the solitude of buying dinner.
5. Have a hot bath, with a glass of wine and a trashy magazine. Make sure you lock the door! The best time to do this is of course after the kids are in bed because even when Dad is on duty, the kids will still be looking for you and you will be relaxing to the chorus of “knock knock knock, Muuuuuum”.

Most importantly, DO NOT feel guilty for taking this time for yourself. You actually NEED to engage in some self care to be the best Mum you can be. Even if the improvement in your mood and energy is only slight, it is still an improvement and will benefit you and your family.  

I would love to hear from any of you who have some more ideas on how we can dabble in a little self care to top up our love jugs today J