I’ve been there before, daydreaming about a spa day, a whole day at home alone to potter, a leisurely walk and maybe a spot of lunch to while away the weekend. Realistically, these aren’t possible for the majority of us working Mums (Moms) – maybe once a quarter if you’re lucky.
So, what can we do to just grab a few moments of ‘me time’? Here are my top 5 things to do in 5 minutes to recharge your brain and your patience. Some of these can be done when you’re at work, others are for when you are at home in the evening or the weekend.
- Wash your hands – I’m not talking a quick swill at the kitchen sink, I mean a proper hand wash in a nice bathroom basin, using a hand scrub if you have it, along with a fancy soap and lashings of hand cream. Just the scent of my favourite soap or handcream makes me breathe a huge, contented sigh before I open the door back into real life.
- Go for a quick walk – This could be at lunchtime to get out the office, or just to nip to the local store at the weekend to get a paper. Just these few minutes to be walking without real purpose, or having to keep a watchful eye over your roaming toddler is bliss.
- Listen to a song – it could be something on your iPod, or just a song on the radio , but everyone knows that music is powerful stuff. If you can switch off from the world around you and focus on the lyrics and melody of a tune, it really can transform your mood and reinvigorate you. I like to listen to tracks from my youth that bring back some great memories and make me smile.
- Take 10-15 deep breaths – If I’m honest, I do this in the office toilets regularly especially if I’m feeling overwhelmed. Close your eyes and take 10 breaths of 5 seconds each. Focus on your body starting from your feet and slowly moving up towards your neck and head as if you are releasing the stress from your being. By focusing on parts of your body, it stops your mind thinking about everything else. It does work, trust me. 🙂
- Garden – There is simply nothing more relaxing that wondering along past your flower beds that are beginning to bloom in the spring sunshine. If it is quiet and you can hear birds twittering, or even a neighbour’s lawnmower, it is very therapeutic. Catching sight of a beautiful butterfly or a bumble bee collecting nectar transports you into the natural environment and even if you just deadhead a few plants it temporarily releases you from the life treadmill.
What do you do to rebalance your mind during the hectic week? Let me know at sayhello@paranoidworkingparent.co.uk, tweet me @pwparent or comment on my facebook page www.facebook.com/paranoidworkingparent.
Hi Amelia,
I enjoyed this post! I come from the other end of the spectrum in that my children have all left the nest already but I can still remember quite clearly just how frazzled you can become when you are a working mum with small children. I can totally endorse the tips you give here to recharge your brain because I started doing these very things in my thirties to keep sane. These habits have lasted through the years and I still walk every day, garden, make a point of breathing deeply and listening to music is still one of the best ways for me to relax and change my mood.
Thanks Erica, I’m glad you enjoyed reading it. It is amazing how small things can make a big positive difference to your mood.
Hi its Alexey,
Great topic to write about, it gives a little insight of what it takes to be a working mom (although I am a man, I go have a mom 🙂 )
And by the way, listening to songs, quick waking and breathing deep can benefit and help to relax to everyone who is in stress all day. These are excellent “habbits” to do, thank you!
Thanks Alexey, it is good to know you can resonate with these tips as a male. Stress can affect anyone and everyone.
I can see these ideas being well received because they really do only take a few minutes.Washing your hands with a nice lavender soap was one of mine. The Lavender helped to destress my mind and your hands can not ever be clean enough when you’re dealing with kinds right?
Yes, the hand washing is a personal favourite of mine. It’s like a shot of aromatherapy when you need it most. :-
I can see these ideas being well received because they really do only take a few minutes.Washing your hands with a nice lavender soap was one of mine. The Lavender helped to destress my mind and your hands can not ever be clean enough when you’re dealing with kinds right?
I can see these ideas being well received because they really do only take a few minutes.Washing your hands with a nice lavender soap was one of mine. The Lavender helped to destress my mind and your hands can not ever be clean enough when you’re dealing with kinds right?
I can see these ideas being well received because they really do only take a few minutes.Washing your hands with a nice lavender soap was one of mine. The Lavender helped to destress my mind and your hands can not ever be clean enough when you’re dealing with kinds right?
I like your idea of taking 10 deep breaths of 5 seconds each. I do this exercise all the time! Actually, close to this exercise…
Actually, the exercise that I perform is called the 4-7-8 breathing method. The numbers stand for the time that you breathe in, hold it, and then breathe out. It is the same basic thing, but you truly have to focus on the lengths of each and coupled with the slow breathing, really makes everything in your world slow down.
With which ever breathing exercise you choose though, I’m sure that it will have the desired result!
Thanks for the tip! Glad you could relate to the post.
Hey Amelia, nice to read your article. I can co-relate myself recharging my brain with all your 5 beautiful working tips. Among all the tips, I love to listen to my favorite songs the most.
Also, I believe that taking deep breathe will help to reduce all stress that we deal with.
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the post.