It’s common for parents to believe that they can’t have anything fun in their life. They feel as though they have to live, eat, breathe their child and do nothing else because they have no time. Or, if you have a career as well, that already leaves limited time, and also for a lot of people, comes with a sense of guilt. But, we want you to let this guilt go and start understanding that you are worth looking after as well.
You have to look after yourself as well as the other people around you, and you have to understand that it’s okay to do this. If you don’t, you’re going to burnout to the point where you are no help to anyone, your kids included. So, it’s time to start figuring out what you can do to make this happen. Ready to get into it? Great.
Skincare
We want to start by looking at skincare. Skin Care is important, and it’s more talked about now than it ever has been before. Of course, looking after your skin has always been important, but it’s only taken off in popularity over the last few years. Now, if you’re not someone who takes care of their skin currently but is blessed with it being clear anyway, you’re lucky but you can’t bank on that luck for your whole life.
We strongly recommend that you determine what kind of skin you have asap so that you can get the right products to keep it looking incredible. Most people either have dry, oily, or combination skin, with a few lucky people just having regular skin. This will help you to figure out which products will be good for you and which ones won’t based on their ingredients. For example, something that is oil based is not going to be any good for someone who already has oily skin.
When it comes to setting the routine for this, you’ve got to think about when you are most likely to complete it, and what order you’re going to do things in. Some people do this in the morning, some people before you go to bed, and others both. It’s up to you depending on your skin!
Get Out And About
In order to look after yourself, you can’t just stay cooped up inside your whole life, even though sometimes you may want to. Despite what you may think though, socializing is actually one of the most important parts of staying healthy mentally. Even if this just means that you want to go for a walk around the lake with a friend of yours. Or, even if you just want to go over to your parents house for dinner one day.
Getting out and about doesn’t mean that you constantly have to go places where there are massive crowds, because it doesn’t. Head out for a lovely evening walk, go to the store a few times a week just so that you’re not trapped inside of your house all of the time. It’s important that you push yourself even if you don’t want to, because you’re tired or for whatever other reason.
Make Time For Exercise
Are you someone who exercises regularly? If you’re not, then you should really start completing some kind of exercise on a regular basis. We know that it’s hard to get into the swing of things, but once you do manage to come up with some sort of routine for this, you will feel much better for it. In fact, you will probably find that you are excited for your workout times to come around because they make you feel good. That’s the release of endorphins that your brain releases when you complete some kind of intense activity to alleviate any pain that you are feeling.
It might be tough to make time in your busy schedule, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. You could get up an hour earlier in the morning, or you could squeeze it in when you would normally be on the sofa, watching tv and eating a sweet treat. That’s not to say you can’t do that, but not all of the time.
Work On Being Happy
This one might seem silly but how many people can truly say they are genuinely happy. The guess would be not a lot as life tends to get in the way and have people walking around on autopilot. If you work on being happy then your whole self can walk around with a smile on their face. You will appear happy and by that we mean your head will be held high and your posture will scream positivity.
It can take some time to find your happiness, especially if you have been through the wringer with work or home life. Don’t be afraid to seek the help, advice, and guidance of a professional if you feel you need to discuss your issues. This is just one step in finding yourself again, you might also want to get a new hair cut or go shopping for some new clothes. Whatever took your happiness and smile away, do the opposite to find it again.
Take Up A New Simple Hobby
Another thing to think about is whether you have a hobby. If you often find yourself sitting around with nothing to do then it is time to find one. A hobby could be absolutely anything, as long as you enjoy doing it and want to carry on. This could be going for a swim at the local leisure centre or joining a choir because you love to sing. If it brings you joy and happiness then it is doing you good. If you aren’t too keen on leaving the house then the good news is there are hobbies you can do here as well. Knitting, sewing, reading your favorite book, or playing wordle are all great examples of at home hobbies. Find what you love and you will find yourself in the process.
Don’t forget, hobbies don’t have to be enjoyed alone. You can do these with friends and family to share the enjoyment. If you have a pack of cards then you could all play something like blackjack or poker for fun. You might also want to start a local book club so you can all share the same book and what your thoughts are.
Remember You’re A Person Too
Finally, don’t forget that you matter too. You are a person, an individual with feelings just like the rest of us. If you are too busy working or taking care of things at home then you can quickly forget this. If you haven’t been out to do something for yourself in a long time then now is the chance, meet friends or go to a spa and enjoy yourself. You will come back feeling so much better and you never knew you needed it.
Something to bear in mind is that it is okay to have off days here and there, it is okay to be a little stressed with family members. You are a human being not a robot and you have feelings that can sometimes get a bit too much.
So there you have it, we hope you found the article above helpful and it gave you lots of reassurance that you can look after yourself too. It can be incredibly easy to forget about your own mental and physical health sometimes, especially if you are a parent or carer. However, without taking time for yourself you will end up struggling with everyday tasks and chores. Taking a quick five minutes to yourself, if that is all you have, can make a real difference to your day.