Do you also feel guilty for taking care of your own?
This is the emotional status of many women while taking out time for themselves. I often feel guilty to leave my kid with his father in order to nurture myself. Although we are listening these phrases like self-care, self-love so much from the last 5 years.
Why is this still an alien concept to follow?
Many a times we relate this “self –care” term to some exotic spa day or fine dining which may cost us a lot. But little do we realize that self-care means to take care of your emotional and physical well-being.
As women we play many roles in our lives. Most of which are extensively of a care giver in one form or another. May be you are a mother, a wife, a daughter. No matter what the role is, it always demands care from you. We have the responsibility of raising children, taking care of elderly to running a proper routine of the whole household.
Frankly speaking, I am not against any of these. I know there are certain things that women can only do the best and one of them is giving care and love. But this natural quality comes to us because nature has selected us to bring lives to this world and has given both heart and head fit for it.
But I also know that a healthy mind and body can only take care of so much responsibilities. When I see the lives of women around me, it often feels like we are daily fighting a big battle in order to run a whole family.
While managing this much daily, it is also important to know that there is no shame in taking care of yourself. Your household chores are never going to stop, you will have to cook every day, laundry will be there every day, kids will make a big mess everyday but you need to take care of yourself every day.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with everything. Certain things can wait to be done but your health once gone will never come back.
Women when become numb of carrying excessive responsibilities, they generally sit before the TV or eat junk food labelling it as their Me time. It is these unwise choices that we make out of stress, which leads to a sedentary lifestyle ultimately costing our well-being.
No matter how much busy life gets we must take out time to introspect as to which direction our life is going and what are the choices we are making and are we ready to pay the price for it?
Here are some ways that I have figured out over the years to take care of myself in the hustle-bustle of life.
- Connect with People – One of the most common things in housewives is that they are struck at home.
Amidst the family responsibilities, they tend to lose their social life. It is necessary for house wives to have a social circle outside family relations.
Go out meet with strangers who come from different walks of life, make friends. Meet them frequently. Having friends and staying connected to them is definitely important for our mental sanity.
- Keep a hobby – While nurturing others don’t forget to nurture yourself.
Pick up a hobby. Anything that you love to do or would love to do. Learn about it and give it time regularly.
This way your creativity will be alive and you will be enthusiast about life. And who knows in today’s social media era where you can share your knowledge from home, new opportunities might erupt.
- Stay Physically Fit – Yes, although it is good for everybody but I have to say this again and again, it is important for you housewives as well.
Staying fit will not only increase your strength and stamina but also will keep you mentally fit. It is very important to take out time for some exercise like yoga, aerobics or zumba.
Staying fit or exercising regularly is not that difficult as we think. We just need to prioritize everything every day. Given the huge amount of responsibilities that we tackle daily and the kind of attention and energy each of them demand from us, we better be fit.
- Ask For Help – Many a times, I have noticed that we as housewives beat ourselves by overdoing.
We think that doing all at a time proves our competence. We hesitate to ask for help.Because when we will, it will be taken as we are incapable of our given role. And being a women, I have found myself into such situations.
The most hounding fact about being in such situations is not being judged but being judged by “fellow women” who have been in such situations before in their lifetime but now will lift eyebrows on other women even after understanding her situation well.
Asking for help doesn’t show your weakness, it rather shows your maturity in managing everything smoothly rather than roughly.
Help can come in any forms it can be a hire help in form of baby sitters, maid, cook etc. Or in the modern times, we can also avail the help of daycares and nurses at home to help us with some of our responsibility.
Overdoing may lead to mental and physical chaos which may further hamper the family peace. This will be clearer by this example, if you are over doing on a day you may be furious on tiny matters. Might react harshly on the kids or other dear ones, which in turn may be very damaging for relationships around you.
So, better ask for help when you feel exhausted , this will give you some time to rest, to reflect and will also maintain your mental sanity.
- Be Financially Independent – Well, we all know to follow own will you must be independent. This goes perfectly towards financial independence. You can spend on self-care only if you earn on your own money.
Don’t get me wrong, but it’s good that some loved one is taking care of all your needs. But what if you don’t find such sweet help always; will you give up self-care?
So, the best option is to always be financially equipped at least for your basic needs. So, that from time to time you pamper yourself. Takeoff all the dust of responsibilities and stay fresh forever.
- Taking responsibilities too much seriously – This is the worst part for all the women. I am sure you as a women, would have felt this crushing emotion of figuring out everything and taking everything in life too much seriously.
But you must know, it’s ok in not knowing what’s laid in future. Anyway you are going to figure out eventually.
It’s ok not to take everything in life too much seriously as if it is a Do or Die situation always.
I know many of you might have been thinking of the endless responsibilities that we have which are no doubt crucial and important. But figuring a way out of such n number of responsibilities each and every day of your life will leave you burnt out and crushed.
So, in order to elevate your spirits it is very important to leave something to the “Tide of time” and enjoy the little happiness’s of life as it is.
After all these simplistic things are the one which makes our lives extraordinary.
