Use Your Oxygen Mask!

Sometimes it can be really difficult to balance being a mom and having time for myself. I’m pretty sure if you’re a parent you can absolutely relate.

Even if you don’t have kids, there always seems to be something that we end up prioritizing over ourselves as more deserving of our time and energy. I’ll admit that there are plenty of things more important than myself, and I do tend to prefer to take care of other people over myself.  And most cases, if you drill down, the reason we ultimately prioritize other things above ourselves is guilt. The guilt we feel anytime we make yourself a priority and decide that taking care of our mental state, or physical and emotional health because we decided at some point, that that’s considered a luxury. But that’s insane.

Sure, you could be more productive with the hour you choose to take a bath with essential oils and read a book you love, because there is definitely something else you COULD be doing. But if you’re constantly putting yourself to the sidelines, your relationships and career will suffer.

It’s like wearing the same pair of sweatpants day in and day out because you’d rather spend pants money on other people and then, one day, you feel a cool breeze and realize that you’re rocking sweatpants with big holes in them (but not in a cool way like a pair of ripped jeans might be). So let’s find a balance between all of this!

If you haven’t heard of the oxygen mask metaphor, it’s been used on me plenty of times. The airlines always remind you to put the oxygen mask on for yourself and THEN, assist your children. WHAT!? But what about the children!?

Well, how well can you take care of your children(or any other relationship) without your own oxygen?

Here are a couple of suggestions on how you can manage this:

1. SCHEDULE IT. Finding time for you is critical. Even if it’s just a few minutes here and there throughout the day that are in between other activities. Finding “windows” or “pockets” of time that you can zone out, turn on a podcast, meditate, take a walk, jam on some sick 90s beats, or use the time to get creative in your favorite way. Those 5-10 minutes you spend waiting for your significant other or your kids to get out of their appointment or activity is a perfect time for this.  If you have a list in your phone of quick “recharge” activities instead of sitting there scrolling through your phone aimlessly, you can open that list really quickly and pick a favorite!
2. COMBINE IT. Sometimes you don’t have segmented sections of time that you can compartmentalize your activities, even if it IS just a few minutes. We have days like that, don’t we? So if I want to time with my kids but I also feel the need to be creative, I can combine the two and we can get creative together. Hand lettering, or practicing music together, search and find puzzles and lots of other little activities that we both enjoy.

Don’t forget to grab for that oxygen mask regularly. You can easily find yourself overwhelmed unless you decide to create time for yourself to recharge throughout your day and week.

Your friends, family, and co-workers will absolutely benefit from a healthier, more gratified and happier you. And when they catch your vibes, don’t be surprised when their attitude improves as a result. That’s just how it goes.

You have your marching orders, take care of you, PRONTO!