Self-Care Hacks by Time Frame
Time to read: 4-5 mins
I want this article to provide a quick reference of ideas to parents wherever they are in their journey. It’s not a deep one, just a practical list of ideas that even if you try one or two of them might just improve your day. Most of these I have tried and do regularly myself and some my close friends swear by so I have included (since we are all different and what works for them might work for you too).
10 seconds: This is one of my favourites just because it’s so quick but can really reset your mind! I treat myself to a shower gel with essential oils ( I like Cowshed Replenish for mornings and Cowshed Relax for evenings) then with the relevant shower gel as soon as I get into the hot shower I rub a big dollop into my hands and take in 3 big inhales and exhales. That’s it! I don’t think of anything, I just concentrate on the scent and the breaths for 10 seconds and it almost wipes my slate clean and resettles me.
10 seconds to 2 minutes: There is so much out there to read on gratitude, different methods and techniques but for me since I started to express gratitude every morning my day and mood set off on the right foot and my immunity (much needed with a baby around) improved drastically. I recommend doing this as soon as you wake up in the morning (not suggesting by any means you do it if you are awoken in the night by your child, I’m not an animal). Because often my brain is still asleep (especially if my child is calling for me at a less than ideal early hour) I simply say with conviction ‘thank you, thank you, thank you’. If I have a little more time to actually wake up and activate my brain I get a bit more specific ‘ thank you for the night’s sleep, thank you for this comfy bed, thank you for my boys, thank you for our health’ whatever comes to mind. It doesn’t need to go on for ages and 9 times out of 10 I just go with the ‘thank you, thank you, thank you’ option.
2 to 5 minutes: There are countless emotions swirling around in a house with a baby but don’t let hanger be one of them. Ensure you are stocked up with good and healthy breakfast options and snacks because let's face it, you’re probably on the move and likely won’t be able to sit down and enjoy something properly. I swear by oat energy balls and just grab a packet as I’m running about or heading out the door.
10 minutes to 1 hour: Becoming a new parent can be mentally exhausting and meditation can be a great way to free your mind even just for a few minutes which can really help with the rest of the day or evening. Personally I found it really frustrating when meditation was suggested as a way of decompressing. How could I switch off my thoughts and relax when I always had to have one eye or ear open to hear the baby? Well, walking mediations are the answer, not only do you get some fresh air, improve your step count but you can also take your mind to another place all while pushing the baby in the pram or carrying them in the holder. We created a package specifically for our MoveThru audience of parents with meditation and yoga expert Lizzie Hawes, you can find them here, and no you don’t need to meditate with your eyes closed!
5 minutes to an hour: This can be done in combination with another activity or just be in the background throughout your day. In the first year or so (or quite honestly sometimes I still feel like this so come back to this hack) of parenthood our confidence and value in ourselves can be very low down the list. At the end of the day, the first few months to a year is all about the baby and it takes a lot to get back to yourself. We know that we should speak kindly to ourselves but we often don’t. I like to listen to an affirmations playlist just while I’m about the house doing chores or work or looking after my child. I chose this one with a bit of an RnB vibe so it’s essentially just some nice background music. Later I often realise that some of the positive messages have seeped their way into my brain because I start to notice things that I like and appreciate about myself which are in some of the lyrics.
Tips from friends:
I’ve heard great things about the 5 minute journal and my friend also suggested this when I asked if she had any hacks.
For parents with reliable sleepers the old get up an hour earlier than everyone else method seems to work well. While in essence I get it, it’s never worked for me. I need sleep more than anyone with the interrupted nights and trying to finish everything often late into the evening. But, it might work for you!
Another friend confessed that her favourite time of day was just after she dropped her child at the child minder and headed back to work via a coffee shop. ‘I order my coffee to go (obvs because I have a million things to do, can’t wait around) and when I get it, before I put the lid on I just inhale it and take my first lovely sip and it really is wonderful.’
Greg’s response
I like how practical and realistic Zoe’s hacks are for new parents. Managing expectations was critical in the early stages and so having hacks for just 10 seconds (which before parenthood seem a little ‘out there’) now make perfect sense! There are lots of different ideas but it really centres on what's useful for you.
Meditation is a good example where I prefer to move vs sit still, so options like walking meditations are super useful. Lastly, just having acceptance you will need ways to improve your day by little margins was something I wished I embraced earlier. Just adding parenthood into your repertoire is unlikely to work, you need to adapt & evolve
TAKEAWAYS:
The first year of your baby’s life likely isn’t the time in your life you will look or feel your best. Be realistic with your expectations of yourself.
Find something that works for you, it doesn’t have to be any of the above and could be something others find silly but finding that one hack will make a huge difference to how you're feeling.
