So here I am back to blogging after 9 short weeks. I posted my last blog just a few days before Florence was born. All parents say how quickly time goes when you have children, Matilda is two already, so I know first-hand how fast the time goes. But life with two is just zooming past, it really is. I give gratitude daily for having two wonderful daughters and try my hardest to appreciate every little moment, milestone and memory.
Being a mum is the most magical thing that has ever happened to me. It’s allowed me to see and live my purpose in life, it’s given me a strength I didn’t know I had and it’s allowed me to be the best version of myself. It’s also been the most challenging too. I’ve lost my patience, I lost my identity for a while, and I’ve lost time for me. Overall, being a mum is bloody hard work, it’s exhausting. But gifting myself self-love daily really helps me to stay grounded and not lose my patience so much.
Self-love is something I am passionate about, because without a happy, calm mum, how can we expect to raise happy, calm babies? Before children I didn’t label my beauty treatments, bath times, the books I read, the courses I would take, alone time, meditation, gym classes as ‘self-love’ I just saw them all as a little bit of ‘me time’ and took this time for granted. Now I’m lucky if I can have pee in peace. Self-love to me is so important as it allows me to feel good, achieve better and stay sane. I truly believe we need to mother ourselves before we can mother our children.
Being a mum of two now, I find it even more difficult to find the time for self-love. For me, self-love isn’t about relaxing in an hour long bath (although it used to be 9 weeks ago) Self-love as a busy, exhausted mum is finding little pockets of time on dog walks, whilst cleaning the house, during breastfeeding, straight after a night feed, during my daughter’s naptimes, before bed, in bed. And using that precious time wisely, really wisely. Over the last 9 weeks I’ve managed the following (with my daughters in tow):
• 45minute walk most days
• Daily gratitude
• Mindfulness and meditation
• Naps when my body has needed them
• 15 minute journaling most days
• Face masks
• Read my book
• chamomile tea most evenings
• A free online ‘Master your message’ marketing course run by the inspirational Suzy Ashworth, Mindset and Business Coach
• 10 minute self Reiki treatments most days
• Listened to Ted talks and podcasts daily
• Reflexology appointment by the lovely Claire at Your Perfect Balance (ok, so I didn’t have Matilda with me, but I did have my Florence, and she enjoyed some reflexology too, which was just magic)
• Written this blog
My self-love routine is not at all what is used to be (although I will get those days back, I’m sure) but because it’s so important to me, I somehow find the time, I make the time. And in return, I’m even more grateful for the time, because I know how precious it really is.
To the exhausted, tired, burnt out Mother, if there’s one thing you can do today, it’s to gift yourself some self-love, You truly deserve it.
mind-over-mum.com 