We all have times in our life where everything flows. When work, family and personal life seem easy. Then there are the other times. The times when the thought of “normal” flies right out the window. It’s often due to something outside our control – maybe good, maybe bad. A new job, a job loss, someone gets sick, you come back from a vacation, kids are out of school for the summer, someone in your family starts a new activity or sport or even a combination of several of these life events. Regardless, the successful, easy to follow schedule is gone. Since you may be trying to just get through this season of life, it’s really easy to forget about self-care – after all, who has time for that? However, this is exactly the time you need to be taking care of yourself – otherwise you’ll likely end up sick and discouraged with life. I’m sure you’ve been there.
How do you handle self-care when life gets crazy?
I have a few simple tips to share:
1. Go back to the basics. You may not have time to make a healthy home-cooked dinner every night right now, but you DO have time to drink enough water each day. You DO have 5 minutes in the morning to stretch, you DO have a few minutes before bed to think about the things you are grateful for in life. Keep a supply of fresh fruit and veggies on hand for snacks. Savor a cup of comforting tea in the afternoon. In other words, do the small, basic things you need to stay healthy, and don’t worry about the more elaborate schedule – you’ll get back to that when life slows down.
2. Pick the one thing that makes the biggest impact in regards to your self-care and then do just that. Maybe for you, getting 30 minutes of exercise or 20 minutes of yoga each day keeps you sane. It could be journaling. A weekly walk in the woods, or a long, relaxing soak in the tub. Whatever will make you feel the best, make THAT your priority and let the rest go.
3. Ask for help. Don’t try to go it alone – that’s a recipe for disaster. It can be hard to ask for help, but do it anyway. Perhaps you can come up with a carpool schedule with another parent for that new sport or activity, or take turns watching the kids for each other. I know when things get crazy, I’ll often ask the kids to help out with cleaning more than usual – it keeps me from getting stressed about a messy home and it’s good for them to contribute.
4. Give yourself grace. The thing to remember about crazy times in life is that they are usually temporary. The only constant you can count on is that things will change. You’ll either get used to your “new normal” or that particular season of life will end. So if you don’t feel like you are taking care of yourself perfectly right now, try not to stress about it – be kind to yourself instead.
What do you do when life gets crazy? Let self-care fall right off the agenda? Or do something about it? However you’ve handled it in the past, I encourage you to take a few minutes right now and come up with a plan for how you will keep your self-care alive no matter what else is going on in your life.
I’m Pam, and I’m a coach for busy working moms who love their kids, but feel tired, stressed out and overwhelmed. They want to do it all but can’t find enough hours in the day. I help them balance family, health and work so that they can go to sleep each night feeling fulfilled and guilt-free. Looking for easy tips on how to become healthier and happier this week? Get your FREE copy of “7 Ways to Become Healthier & Happier THIS Week”