This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Best Western. All opinions are 100% mine.
Do you know a hard-working Mom who deserves some ME time?
I hope you just said “yes, ME!”
And I’m sure quite a few other names popped into your head —
your sister who’s raising three kids all under the age of 6,
your best friend who’s managing a full-time job outside of the home and a hectic daycare schedule for her toddler,
or maybe one of the moms in your church group who is taking care of her own family along with her older parents who also need quite a bit of her time.
Life can get busy for us Moms and sometimes we deserve some time for ourselves.
So how can we make Me time more of a priority?
How to Find (& Enjoy) Time for Yourself
It’s not easy, is it — putting ourselves at the top of the list.
There’s always someone who needs us but whether we know it or not, giving the best of ourselves to others means that we DO need to prioritize that ME time to refresh, relax and re-energize!
This past week, we had a very interesting conversation at our dinner table …
I was remarking on all the activities we have coming up on the calendar and made an observation that everyone had these great things to look forward to — except for me (Mom).
My husband is taking a trip to see friends, my son is graduating this year so he has a ton of social stuff on the calendar, my daughter can’t wait for her birthday party and also has school events coming up this Spring.
I love family stuff, don’t get me wrong — but I got to thinking …
“Hmmm.. when’s the last time I had something (other than coffee with my good friends) on the calendar for just myself?”
It doesn’t happen very often and I’m betting it’s the same at your home.
But it could happen!
And I know some ME time is definitely well deserved 😉
I just have to tell myself that it’s ok for me to be at the top of the list.
So here’s a few tips on how to find more ME time for yourself —
1. Plan for 15 minutes a day
I read a great post from Deb at Bits of Positivity shared a great post how you can create new habits and feel more accomplished in just 15 minutes a day.
Everyone can find 15 minutes (heck, just put the kids to bed a few minutes earlier each night 😉
And use those 15 minutes for something JUST FOR YOU!
Read your favorite book, take time to call a friend and chat or spend some time on a hobby you love!
2. Partner Up
There’s nothing like a great friend to push you to take some time for yourself.
Pair up with a bestie, sister or neighbor and hold each other accountable for a weekly “only Me” activity. You don’t have to do it together — just know that people are more likely to stick to a commitment if they tell others about it.
3. Ask the Family to Chip In
I was surprised during our dinner conversation when my kids said “Mom, you can go do something. We’ll be fine!”
When I actually think about it, it’s mostly me who thinks I need to always be attending to their needs — they can certainly find something to keep themselves busy if I wanted to take a night out each week.
And if that means they have to clean the kitchen after dinner and chip in to cover my absence, I think it would be good for them — I have found that having Mom out of ear-shot builds independence, character and a little appreciation for what I do when I am around 🙂
4. ‘Mom’inate a Friend to Win
Best Western gets it!
They know how hard we work at being the best Mom in the world 😉
As an awesome reward, they are giving one lucky Mom (5) nights in any Best Western hotel and a $2,500 MasterCard® Gift Card in the Mom Me-Time Sweepstakes !
And guess what?
If the person you nominate wins, you’ll also win the same grand prize! Because you are such an amazing person for nominating them in the first place 🙂
PLUS, each day of the sweepstakes they are also giving away a free night at any Best Western hotel — woohoo!
5. Hide in the Closet
Well ok, maybe not the closet 🙂
One trick to having some Me time includes finding a dedicated space for you!
I tell my kids all the time — they each have their own room plus they have a playroom too. Lots of space for them to spread out & enjoy some alone time while they read, create or just listen to music.
Parents (like us) usually share a bedroom and our house isn’t big enough for a ‘man’ cave or ‘woman’ cave of sorts.
So I’ve kinda claimed our outside screened-in room as “my” space.
It’s where I go when I want to enjoy a magazine, some uninterrupted work time or just have some quiet time for me. And it’s worked out beautifully for a few reasons — I’m a big nature lover so being outside is something I enjoy AND the kids never want to just ‘go sit on the deck’ so it’s a space that’s not used a lot by the rest of the family.
Those are key in finding your own spot — a place that isn’t frequented by others and one you enjoy!
So how do you put yourself at the top of the list & enjoy some ME time?
And don’t forget to nominate a friend for the awesome Mom Me-Time Sweepstakes!