Finding Balance
Caroline Rowett
Creating time to think for busy parents I Individual & Couples Parent Coaching I Parent Workshops I Certified Time to Think Coach
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I get it - there are a million things to do, and that little challenge called TIME has a habit of ticking on by - but before you drop yourself at the bottom of the priority list, pick a few of these quick and easy wins.?
Analyse your tasks to determine what is essential and what can shift so you have time to look after yourself. (I needed help from a coach to figure out my priorities, and it's work I love helping my clients with, so message me if you need a hand.)
Take a break to breathe deeply. There are many ways to invigorate the nervous system or calm it down, simply through breathing.*
Exercise might not come in its pre-kiddo form, but it can still happen! Lifting a baby in the air ten times is as good as any weight-lifting. Copy a toddler for half an hour, and you'll have made more yoga moves than you can count, and nothing beats dancing around the kitchen for cardio.
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Meditation*, quietly thinking or talking to someone who can give you their full uninterrupted attention, enables you to tap into your inner voice. If you notice your self-talk is unkind, tell it to pipe down and begin speaking to yourself like you would a friend that you love.
Take note of the positives! Did you dish out hugs before being fully awake, pat the dog, or smile at the neighbour? When we intentionally notice and give ourselves credit for these things, they can help counteract humans' natural negativity bias and make us feel better.
Take a moment to notice what you can smell, see, hear, taste & feel without giving it a label (e.g. I see toys, not I see a mess!) Bringing our focus back to our body helps to cut out some of the stress caused by internal noise.?
Recall a few things you are grateful for each day. It's quick and easy, and the science backs it up, so give it a go! Practice it with your children - together you can learn to focus on the positives in life.
When you find things more challenging than usual, pause and ask yourself, "What can I do to bring myself back into balance?" And then focus on finding time to do it because you?are?worth prioritising. Caring for yourself not only helps you feel better, but it also helps you parent better, which then makes you feel better, and so the cycle goes…
*There are apps and YouTube videos to help with both breathing techniques and meditation. I love?Balance?(even more since I discovered its ten minutes of sleep prep for kids settles my 12-year-old brilliantly.) You can trial it for free to see if it works for you.