A Parents How To: Maintain Your Self-Care Routine

By Sara Butler

Parents aren’t exactly known for having copious amounts of time to dedicate to themselves. If it’s not snack time, then it’s bath time, followed shortly by storytime and bedtime, which leaves you with precious little time to do much else before you fall into bed exhausted. Still, it’s important for parents to carve out a little time or themselves. Just a few minutes of self-care each day can help you to recharge your batteries and make you better parents in the long run.

Here are some ideas to help you get started. Don’t worry, this article only takes a few minutes to read!

How Exhausting Is Parenthood?

Since you welcomed your tiny little overlord .. err, bundle of joy into your life, you’ve probably noticed that you’re tired. Don’t worry, it’s not just you.

A recent study found that parents work an average of 98 hours per week. In the midst of that 98 hours, parents only get about 17 minutes of free time each day. And it’s not just that grueling schedule that takes a toll. Relationships tend to change when kids come into the picture, making many people feel isolated and lonely so you’re left feeling drained and isolated -- a recipe for burnout. If you want to avoid burnout, then you need to employ some self-care techniques in your day no matter how much time you can actually devote to it.

Self-Care in Less Than 5 Minutes

If you have a young child who needs a lot of attention, the five minutes may be all the self-care you can muster. That’s OK! Self-care doesn’t have to take a long time to have a big impact.

A few ideas for self-care you can accomplish in a few minutes include:

• A warm cup of herbal tea to relax you
• Clean out that kitchen junk drawer that’s been bothering you for months
• Throw on a pair of comfy (but clean) pants
• Step outside on the patio and take a few deep breaths of fresh air
• Write in your gratitude journal
• Mindful toothbrushing (yes, it’s a thing)
• Turn on your favorite song and sing (quietly, you don’t want to wake anyone!)
• Write a note, by hand, to a friend you’ve not talked to in a while

Self-Care in 30 Minutes or Less

If you have a little bit more time to devote, say 15 to 30 minutes, then you should try one of these self-care exercises:

• Grab your kid’s coloring book and go to town (you know you love Paw Patrol)
• Write down something that is bothering you and then come up with some steps to help you address it
• Take a bath
• Call a friend on the phone
• Read that book you’ve been meaning to get to
• Meditate by focusing on deep breathing and turning everything else out
• Head to The Joint Chiropractic for an adjustment

The point of self-care is to take some time out of your day to focus on you. You spend all day worrying about and caring for other people, so make sure you’re taking a little time to care for yourself.

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