This year I chose Nourish for my guiding word. After being a full-time stay-at-home Mum for the past eight years, I felt it was time I put my needs first (for a change), and to start taking better care of myself. I want to make sure I balance my time better, so I am not feeling so drained by the time school holidays roll around.
As a Mum I often find myself mentally drained and feeling rundown (especially towards the end of a school term) because I have been so concerned with the girls health, getting things done for them, helping my Mum out with chores, or dealing with the housework and clutter etc. I usually find an excuse not to exercise or make my own health issues a priority, resulting in me getting sick or not feeling 100%.
Today I thought I'd share with you some of the different things I do to nourish and look after myself.
Today I thought I'd share with you some of the different things I do to nourish and look after myself.
My vision board for Nourish |
These are just 5 ways I have been taking time out for myself:
* Create - As you may already know, I love to be creative! Whether its drawing or painting, taking photos or baking I love to create something. I find when I spend a little time (even if it's 20 minutes) to create something, it perks me up for the rest of the day. It had been a few weeks since I painted and had been really missing it, so last Friday I spent an hour or so creating this painting.
An aqua jug with some Eucalyptus leaves and a sprig of Wattle in gouache |
* Coffee - savouring a good cup of coffee is important on my daily to-do-list, especially in the morning. Once I've dropped the girls off to school, I like to come home and make myself a nice cup of coffee, which I can sit down and enjoy.
* Reading - I haven't really read a proper book for ages, I mainly read blogs and articles online. So a few weeks ago I bought myself Ellen Degeneres book "Seriously...I'm Kidding", which is a good laugh, and a nice, easy to read, non-heavy book to lead me back to reading books.
* TV - My latest show weakness has been the American house renovation shows (Masters of Flip, Listed Sisters) that have been on TV. While I've never loved ironing (I'd rather iron something when I need it, then iron a basket full of clothes and hang them up, only to get creased again!) I have been ironing Hubby's business shirts for the week, along with the girls uniforms on a Monday morning while watching the renovation shows I had recorded the night before. I may take a little longer to iron them, as I like to enjoy the show while savouring my coffee!
I hope one of these ideas helps you to take better care of yourself :)
As mums sometimes I think we are programmed to put everyone else's needs before our own! Even in hospital yesterday I was checking to see if the kids were organised re attending their HSC study talk that night until I realised I needed to take the time to rest and recover and let their dad deal with all the day to day dramas for now instead of me!
ReplyDeleteI think you definitely need to take care of yourself and rest up, and let Hubby deal with all the dramas. I hope you recover quickly. :)
DeleteI marvel at the cheap cost of some houses in parts of the US on those house hunting shows sometimes! But I also like to mock people who walk in and complain about the shade of pain on the kitchen cabinets :)
ReplyDeleteI know right, especially when they baulk at the price for how big it is...love to be able to buy something that cheap over here and do it up! :)
DeleteReading a book! I read my first book "The Girl on the Train" in around two years last week. What a luxury to spend 20 minutes lying on my bed READING! Awesome ideas.
ReplyDeleteAww thanks Melinda...happy reading :)
DeleteI am so glad you are nourishing yourself. For far too long I did not. Now, a much older person than you, I am doing much more. Discovering time for art, music and reading is a gift. Keep giving it to yourself. I make some time for each every day now. Denyse #teamIBOT
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by Denyse :) I agree I need to prioritise my days and allow myself time to enjoy each of these gifts. x
DeleteAll my favourites!! Nourish is my all time favourite word I ever used. It is a great guide and anchor
ReplyDeleteThanks Deb, I'm really enjoying Nourish, its a great word :) x
DeleteYour vision board looks amazing Julie!!! I think I'd love Ellen's book. She cracks me up! Will add it to my list xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Elisa, I really love the colours and quotes of my vision board. :) Yeah I love Ellen too, I thought some light reading would be a good start to me getting back to reading more books this year :) xx
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