How The Odd Selfish Break Makes You a Better Mum*

When you’re a mum to young children, there’s never much in the way of ‘me time’. Of course, our children command 100% of our attention and make our lives wonderful. But there can be times during those early years when they are so utterly dependent on you for so many aspects of their daily routine that you feel there’s not much room for anything but looking after them.

Often, you can go through an entire day by rushing from one task to another, with barely time for a cup of tea along the way. If you find yourself sitting on the sofa at the end of the day, not really remembering much of the blur of the day that’s just passed, the likelihood is that you’re pushing yourself too hard. You need to create some little mini-breaks for yourself during the day so that you have a chance to catch your breath, put your feet up, and just zone out for a few minutes before carrying on with the next thing on your list.

All it takes is five minutes, and what you do for those five minutes doesn’t really matter – as long as you can count it as some kind of relaxation. For instance, you could go online to any gaming site and play a couple of online games like bingo or slots. This past weekend I’ve been giving some online games a try this weekend and I like that these are entertaining, yet don’t require anything in terms of effort from a player. It’s down to chance whether you win or not, so, mentally, they’re a great choice when you just want to chill for a few moments.

I spent three hours playing Klondike Solitaire on Saturday. I have absolutely no regrets about this and it’s the most relaxed I’ve felt in ages. It reminded me of the days when there wasn’t a huge amount you could do on your computer so you would waste hours playing solitaire or good ol’ Minesweep and it wasn’t the stress that comes with online gaming you have these days. Not only that, but solitaire challenges your brain a bit which is great if you feel like you’re still struggling with baby brain (it’s been 9 years and I still get it if I haven’t had enough sleep!)

What I love about this site for online games is they have a nice selection, it’s free to use and you’re not gambling. No money involved just something relaxing that keeps the mind busy and gives you as a mother some well needed downtime. It’s so important to take that and it means when it’s time to focus on those spogs of yours again, you’re ready to go!

Motherhood is hard work, but it doesn’t have to be a drudge. Take five every now and then, to look around and smell the roses, no matter how you choose to spend those brief moments of indulgence. It’ll mean that you’re more fun to be around the rest of the day – and that’s good for everyone!