Homemaking is a busy job, with tasks that never really are completed. By that I mean, is the laundry ever really done? Meal preparation and cooking is on going on a daily basis and often requires a lot of planning and pantry management. You can clean and tidy a room one day only to have it disorganized by the end of the day. So homemaking is never really done. It is very rewarding, to organize and manage a home so that your family is comfortable and at peace when they are at home, but it’s a never ending job. It’s easy to get carried away and get caught up in all the things that need doing in a home, and to do too much.
So how can a busy homemaker practice self care? Self care is the actions you take to maintain your physical health as well as your mental health and emotional well being. And while many people take steps to practice self care, I have found that people tend to focus largely on maintaining their physical health. Today I want to give you ideas and tips on how to really practice self care in all areas.
Physical Health
This area is the really the easiest for us to maintain because we all know what we should do to be healthy. We should eat well and exercise and be sure to have our healthy maintained by a health care professional well.
However, I have found too many people indulge in odd diets that are supposed to be healthy but really are unbalanced. For instance, eating high protein diets that are far too high in protein even when they are not trying to lose weight. This results in eating things like protein chips and treats rather than eating a diet that includes real foods like nuts and seeds.
To really maintain our physical health, be sure to consult your doctor, or a naturopath or dietian rather than following internet suggestions and trends. If in doubt, eat whole, natural foods that grew out of the earth or once walked the earth like chicken and vegetables, and good fats that have been used for thousands of years such as olive oil.
Be sure to get a full night’s sleep (8-10 hours is generally what an adult needs) and to exercise. I find exercising so hard, but a walk or a bike ride is great to get in that physical activity and doing some light hand weights helps build and maintain muscle as well. If you are into work out classes, those can be fun and do of course maintain your physical fitness.
Mental Health
I’m not a mental health professional, but I do believe there are some basic things we can do to make sure we are not burning ourselves out. Have boundaries with family and friends and at work (if you are not a full time homemaker). Know your limits, and don’t push beyond those. Be sure to have reasonable expectations of yourself–none of us are perfect, we can’t do all the things that need doing all of time. Hence the expression, “for everything there is a season” because there really are some seasons of life where you simply won’t have the tidiest house or be able to make meals from scratch all of the time.
But also, practice self care. Be sure to take time for yourself–an evening out with friends, or in the bath. Do something you love like read a book or knit. Kick back and watch a movie. Doing these things which are YOU focused are necessary. Pray or meditate. Take time to be alone. Sometimes it seems like we just don’t have time for these things, but sometimes the dishes can sit in the sink or the floor can go unswept while you lounge in a bath or relax with a good book. The mess will be there later.
Self Care Looks Like…
Aside from making sure you’re physically and mentally healthy, I’ve touched upon the idea of doing things for youself. It’s not selfish to do so. It’s necessary to do things for yourself so you can show up for others. Self care can be small things we do for ourselves, like deciding that today you are not going to check social media or your text messages. A digital detox can allow you to be a lot more present in your life and really ground you in the things that matter.
Listening to music is another great way be present in the moment. Play something that speaks to your soul–you’ll likely feel uplifted and perhaps even inspired in some way. Read a book you loved as a child, or one that you’ve really been wanting to start.
Lately, getting out in nature has made a lot of difference to my mood. Although I’ve never been a big fan of the heat, being out in the sunshine in my garden has been a balm to my soul. Just taking in all the beauty of the greenery and flowers has been so soothing. Getting out in nature is known to make a big difference to your mood, and it’s something we can all do without too much fuss and schedule juggling.
Another thing I find really useful in my own self care routine is journalling. It doesn’t have to take a lot of time! You do not need stickers and fancy pens and habit trackers to have a journal. Just a notebook and a pen and you can record your thoughts and feelings without inhibition or the pressure to feel that your journal has to look a certain way. Writing out your thoughts and feelings really helps you problem solve and get those big emotions out in a healthy way.
Final Thoughts
So you see, self care doesn’t have to be something you schedule into your day–there is time for it already in your day. It’s not just a trip to the spa. There are simple things we can do in our homes every day to help balance our mood and keep us emotionally stable. Of course, it’s great to get in some time for something special like a vacation or a trip to a spa, but there are basic things homemakers can build into days so that the entire day isn’t work, which would be too demanding for anyone–office workers don’t work from morning till night after all. Breaks are built into the work day and it’s important for homemakers to do that same. While some self sacrifice is necessary in life, be sure not to sacrifice so much that you suffer because of it. By making sure you make time to keep up your physical health an building in self care to help your mental and emotional health, you’re on the path to be a great homemaker–and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
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