Supercharged self-care mini moments

Do you often find yourself thinking “I wish I could just have a few minutes to myself?”

Maybe you’re a parent with a young child (hello!) who regularly demands your attention.

Maybe you’re a business owner with lots of demands on your time and attention.

Maybe you’re both. Or neither. 

But you’re also someone who strives to be intentional with your time and you know how valuable your attention is. So you end up frustrated because the balance is tipped away from your wellbeing.

I love spending time with my little one. And I do my very best to be 100% present when I’m with him (so I’m not looking at my phone, for example). But I also crave interruption-free time just for me, and when I don’t get it I find myself getting frustrated, distracted and ultimately cranky. 

No one wins. Not me, because I don’t get my space. Not my loved ones, because I’m not at my best for them.

So what’s the solution? 

Ultimately I think the best outcome is scheduling downtime, on your own terms, and then (and this is crucial) ensuring that downtime is spent doing something that *actually* nourishes your mind, body and/ or soul. (Hint: NOT scrolling your phone).

But this isn’t always possible. So here’s what I’m playing with:

Micro moments. 

Bear with me. 

It’s a mini-version of scheduling meaningful downtime. But it’s the moments in between the busyness. 

For example…

You’re hanging out with your kiddo at the pool. You’ve brought your laptop because you thought they’d be happy playing for a while on their own while you got creative. But that’s not how it turned out and they’re asking for attention. So instead, you engage with them. You watch the ladybird they found, and have chats. And then, during available moments, you look up at the sunrays shining through the overhead trees, making beautiful golden patterns, and take a deep breath down into your belly, noticing the fresh air and the beautiful surroundings. Then it’s back to playing/ chatting/ exploring.

This is a micro moment. 

It’s not the expanse of focused me-time you need, but it’s a tiny moment to top up your tank while you’re committing to spending time with your little one (or do business-y things or whatever it is that’s keeping you from much-needed space).

I must emphasise that to be effective, I find that it’s important not to try to do both things at once. They’re two separate points of focus (your loved one/ important task, and the sun through the trees) and each deserves your full attention. Otherwise you’ll end up frustrated again, because you’re not getting either of what you want. 

It’s a practice, and it’s an experiment. 

And then, when you are able, get that big pocket of me-time you need, and absolutely deserve. 

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!