Hey fellow new M.O.M.’s. Today I just wanted to put in a plug for you to relax.
Babies are awesome. Motherhood is awesome. Let’s be honest though, sometimes it downright stinks.
Fact: Motherhood is extremely hard. There is endless material discussing the hardships of motherhood so I’m not going to go on about what you already know. You’re living it.
What I hope you will ask yourself right now is, are you taking time out for you? For me, the hardest part of mentally coping with the idea of taking time out for me is that I always feel like there is something else my family needs of me. I need to update the budget, I need to clean, I need to do laundry, I need to become a master of nutrition so my family is healthy, I need to update the baby books so these memories are documented, I need to plan all sorts of learning activities, I must figure out the secret of other Super Mom’s, blah blah blah. I could go on for quite a while with my personal list of time fillers.
I know that there is research out there that will back me up in this, but I don’t have any to reference for you right now. My personal experience tells me that none of the things on my list are more important than keeping my stress levels in check. I have to take time to de-stress and so do you. So does everybody on the planet who wants a healthy life style.
One of my professors in college used to say, “When mom ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” I think about it every once in a while and remind myself that there is nothing selfish about doing what you need to do for yourself to keep you happy. It is more beneficial for your family that you are happy than that the house is spotless.
Need some ideas? Since having your multiples, has the idea of taking time for yourself become so foreign to you that you wouldn’t even know where to begin with de-stressing? Here are some ideas, Mama.
Go take a nap. So simple, right? Sometimes I’m a amazed at how much one good nap can do. Nap when they’re napping, call in a favor from a friend so that someone can watch the kids while you nap.
One of my all time favorites is a bubble bath with a book or a movie. It’s a special treat at the end of a hard day, right after you go through the marathon of putting all the kids down for bed.
Indulge in a little bit of comfort food. One time my husband came home unexpectedly from school (he’s a med student) and just walked in and said, “Why don’t you just get out of the house for an hour and go grab yourself an ocean water?” Ever had an ocean water from Sonic? Heaven on Earth. It was blissful to peruse apps on my phone and sip my ocean water in a random parking lot for 45 minutes.
Dates. I could do a whole post on date ideas. It may be rare, but it is so nice to be able to get out with my husband and do something fun together. We both come back more energized for day-to-day life.
Work out, join a book club, go on a walk to get fresh air, go sit and people watch on a park bench, watch a favorite movie, have a girl’s night, journal, whatever it is that will recharge you and help you be a happier parent. Let yourself de-stress and don’t feel a lick of guilt about it! Life will be better.
Take time for yourself, Mom.
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Yes. Yes. Yes. Anything you can do for yourself is a step in the right direction. Twins are super hard that first year, but making just a little time for yourself really does re-energize you and give you more satisfaction with your life.
My alone time is running errands while Daddy is home with the kids on weekends.