Kindness. It’s a word we use a lot when talking to our kids. We tell them to be nice to their siblings, teachers, friends and strangers, and we teach them how important it is to keep themselves healthy and safe. But we often forget to be kind to ourselves.
Self-care is a big topic these days — and it couldn’t be more crucial for parents. Because no matter how exactly your day plays out, it likely involves a hefty amount of scrambling and juggling. And probably not a ton of (or any) time to pause, reset or reflect.
And here’s the thing: No one is going to carve out that time for you. You’ve got to claim it. And you should. And you can.
Whether it’s taking a lunch hour, a fifteen-minute break or even just a sneaky five minutes after an errand, it’s amazing what can happen if you take some time solely for yourself. Especially when you ignore the urge to be productive.
When you simply sit, you have have the chance to daydream or to check in with yourself: What’s going great? What’s not working? What excites me? What would I do next if I could spend the rest of the day however I wished?
When we give ourselves a few minutes of not having to be anywhere or do anything, it resets us, just a bit, for when we step back into the bustle of our lives and maybe even shifts, ever so slightly, the direction of the momentum of our days.
And that feels really nice.