I saw a new counsellor yesterday and one of the questions she asked me was how much time I get for myself every week. I wasn’t sure how to answer that – is the time I spend blogging while sitting (on the floor) outside Connor’s room at night waiting for him to go to sleep “me” time? Not really. Lately time for myself involves lying down for a few minutes so I can get through the evening without falling over. (Whoever said the 2nd trimester was supposed to be good was clearly just trying to give pregnant women in the 1st trimester some hope.)
I’m not really good at self-care (is anyone?) but I do know how important it is. So I’m going to help one of you get some more of it.
I am happy to share two opportunities you won’t want to miss. Just write your favorite self-care activity in the comment section below for a chance to win a Yummy Mummy Self-Care Package from me and Renee Trudeau. I’ll draw a name randomly on Mother’s Day and the winner will receive:
- A copy of the beautifully illustrated, award-winning book The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life from nationally recognized life balance expert Renee Peterson Trudeau.
- A free teleclass with Renee on The Transformative Power of Self-Care. (You can meet Renee here.)
- A chance to win the Yummy Mummy Year-of-Self-Care Package. (Winner will be announced on Mother’s Day.) This prize is worth $2,500 and includes an all-expenses paid retreat to Kripalu Yoga & Wellness Center. You can learn more on Renee’s website.
Bonus! Anyone can enter to win the mega Yummy Mummy Year-of-Self-Care by visiting the Live Inside Out Facebook page and sharing a reply to this question: “What does self-care mean to me?”
Enter my giveaway below. And make sure you take some time for yourself today.
About Renee:
Renee has been featured in Family Circle, the New York Times, Good Housekeeping and more and is on faculty at world-renowned retreat centers Kripalu and Esalen. She teaches, speaks, writes and coaches worldwide on life balance and how to find peace in everyday life. Her newest book is Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: 10 Ways to Reconnect and Find Peace in Everyday Life (New World Library 2013). She is also the creator of the global women’s Personal Renewal Group Program for mothers; hundreds of self-care circles are meeting around the world from Munich to Minneapolis.
I want to say that watching tv is my me time. But is it really? I’m almost always doing a 100 things at the same time. Folding laundry, reading/writing blogs, catching up on emails, making grocery lists.
If I had the time, swimming would be my favorite self care activity. I love to be in the water, but so rarely actually am. Another reason why I need to move to the coast!
My favourite Me Time activity is going for a walk with my music in my ears. Not matter how long the walk, even a short one, I feel better and refreshed.
My favourite self care activity is zumba. I try to get out to three classes per week and for one glorious hour, nobody matters but me.
My favorite me time is probably Bikram yoga!
90 minutes of crazy hard work with no cell phone, computer, kids, or co-workers!
A few favorite me times: spending time reading mom blogs! Taking time to do Mindfullness meditation it really helps me deal with some of the hard things going on right now. Have some guided meditations on my iPod that I use.
My favorite self-care activity is taking an extended shower with a gorgeous smelling body scrub. The shower is the place I often develop creative thoughts and reach clarity on any questions floating around in my head. I’ve written it before . . . my shower is my “room of one’s own.”
Oh and these days, the power of my shower is multiplied by the fact that it is tiled in lilac, white and sparkles
Robin, this is an amazing giveaway. My favourite self care activity is a massage followed by an epsom salt jacuzzi bath. I do this about every couple of weeks and I always feel very restored. Clearly though I still need help in the self care area as I sit here way past bed time unable to wind down to sleep! Should have had a bath!
My favorite me time is getting a massage and a hair cut/colour. Both of which I have appts coming up very soon!
A long bubble bath with a good book is my go-to relaxation activity.
My favorite self care activity is my bootcamp workout. I go early in the morning 5 days a week, and it’s a great start to my day!
My favorite self care is being alone, completely alone, in the quiet, reflecting on my own thoughts and actually hearing myself. It is such a rare and importance occurring to remember my own voice.
My very very favorite and very very rare self-care activity is to go away (not far, just to a hotel downtown) ALL BY MYSELF for the weekend. Bliss!
My favorite self care is probably curling up in bed with a book, which I don’t do often enough.
My favorite self care is doing yoga. I sadly haven’t been able to do much more than 5 minutes at a time. It does help me relax enough to go right to sleep.
I’m bad about self-care right now too. I’m happy drinking a cup of tea and reading. Sadly even when I do those things, my mind is racing with guilt about laundry, dinner prep, mopping floors. I’d like a guilt-free day just once.
A good self care activity for me is reading a book while eating a piece of cake with coffee. I try to do it atleast 3x a week to relax and just enjoy my own free time. I also get a massage sometimes.
My favorite self-care is writing, dancing, and groovin to some Prince
I like to read a book in the bath, with the door locked!
I love to read, make cards, and scrapbook!
a bubblebath and a ‘take-me-away’ book!
Taking a nap when my little guy does
I like taking long hot showers…this is my time away from the kids and hubby. I just stand in the hot water and think about stuff. It is nice to think without a million things coming at you from your children.
I like to hike alone up the hill behind our house and take a nice snack to sit and eat and have a few minutes to myself. I have 5 children and minutes are precious….
My favorite self-care activity is soaking in my garden tub by candle light in a bath of hot bubbly water and silence…..love me some silence.
my_2_cents at hotmail dot com
My favorite Self-care activity is Soaking in a bubble bath with candle light listening to my favorite music.
lpninpain@gmail.com
My favorite self-care activity is getting time alone to exercise – away from home.
hot showers…long showers and washing my hair. is that weird?
reading…i could read for hours and be totally lost in the book…that is how i spend my me time when my kiddo is asleep and i’m ahead on other things
My favorite self-care “treatment” finding some quiet time to read a book that I can lose myself in. It quiets my mind and body. Thank you for the generous giveaway.
My self care is a nice long nap
I have a 1 year old and a 4 year old and some times I don’t always get a good night sleep. So every once and awhile I take a nice long relaxing nap
My favorite Me time is taking a bath, but I don’t really get any me time. I have five children under 8 years old so the only me time I get is about a half hour bath and then bed time…
My favorite is going on a long walk
I love spending time on the internet. When I need a moment away I usually go to Facebook! LOL.
My favorite self-care activity is Yoga. Unfortunately, I cannot afford a yoga class and I haven’t found a good at-home DVD or some such thing to help me continue the practice. Yoga is amazing for my mental and physical well-being.
I like to read.
My favorite self-care activity is to go to the gym. I love it. Its time for me and it is helping me to get in shape again
I have had this issue for a while too, spending too much time taking care of everyone else and not enough taking care of me..i am having trouble with it, but i am trying hard lol, everyday i just try and get a few minutes, whether its going to the store alone, or just a short extra walk down the block when i go to check the mail.
I take some time off to myself and read!
jessicaahays athotmail dot com