Micro-Relaxation: How To Chill In Short Bursts

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The kids are running around your legs, work starts in 40 minutes and you’ve still not found the time to put a wash on. How are you expected to look anything but frazzled under these conditions?

Indeed, it’s a problem faced by a huge number of working mothers. Lack of sleep, partners not pulling their weight, poor work/child-raising balance and about as much “me time” as a serial extrovert.

And it shouldn’t be this way. In an ideal world, you’d have time to put your feet up, have a mug of Horlicks and watch an episode of Corrie without some little sprog nipping your head.

But this is no perfect world, and you’re always fighting the clock just to get your chores finished before bedtime.

So we’ve come up with a few ways to help you relax in bite-sized chunks. We’ve called them micro-relaxation tips, and you’ll be guaranteed to chill out if you try a few.

Mask to relax

You’ve got wrinkles to match your heightened blood pressure. Your face is beginning to look like thunder, and not just metaphorically. But a simple moisturiser won’t do the job when stress is showing on your face.

What you need is a high-quality face mask, one that can soothe your face and hold back the years (as Simply Red might say).

For our money, a Proactiv Mask is one of the best products on the market. This deep-cleansing formula will decrease the likelihood of wrinkles, and it costs less than £20. Place it on your face regularly (say, once a week) and your skin will be stronger, smoother and more relaxed.

YOUR space

It’s such an easy trap to fall into when you’ve got kids – every section of your house becomes theirs. Their LEGO bricks are in the lobby, their Action Men are in the living room and their favourite cuddly toys have found their way into your bedroom.

But without a space that’s just yours, you’ll seldom enjoy peace and quiet. Find a room that you can call your own in your home (although that’s easier said than done) and fill it with your favourite hobbies.

Make your partner look after the kids for a while and retreat to your room for suitable “me time”. Whether it’s picking up a skill you’ve always wanted to learn, reading a good book or devouring a few episodes of I’m a Celebrity…, your room is for you and you alone to enjoy.

If you’re feeling really fancy, invest in a massage table and persuade your partner to give you a relaxing rubdown. You’ll enjoy some relaxation and reconnect with the love in your life.

Mum’s Two Cents

It definitely is very tricky to find opportunities for micro-relaxation or what I fondly call pocket “me times” if you are living with children, but it is something that we ought to take once in a while, if only for our sanity. I would absolutely love to have my own space in our home and am planning to scout for a table/drawer, which can be my designated workspace and fill it up with a number of things that I love like photos, postcards, notebooks, pens, and books. There is a furniture shop near our place and I am looking forward to go there and see if I can find a desk or a shelf that would fit this lovely plan.

Where do you retreat to enjoy those micro-relaxation and what activities do you enjoy?


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37 Comments

  1. I don’t necessarily relax, but I always make time for myself everyday. I go to the gym/exercise classes and it’s my alone time to recharge.

  2. Working at home I am by myself a lot, but working. I do try to get a few minutes for myself at lunch time! It is nice to get a little time to yourself and everyone needs that time.

    1. It is difficult working at home, with kids in tow. Sometimes I couldn’t even get anything done. I try to squeeze in as much work during the hours my little one is away at school so I can go back to mothering duties once he gets back.

  3. I love these ideas for taking a little me time. I just started enjoying my own office area with a desk where I can get some work done, not exactly me time but at least I can get something done with my sanity.

  4. It is great to have some time for yourself every once in a while. It will not just benefit you, but also the other people around you.

    1. That is my normal practice, but of late, I find myself lacking the energy to even sit through an entire 40 minutes worth of meditation or the wit to even string words together to finish some pressing online deadlines. 🙁

  5. The only me time I get is first thing in the morning. Everyone in my house knows I need at least 30 minutes of workout time or the household will not function.

    1. I wish I can have your discipline. I try to get as much workout as I can but the only thing I am successful as of yet is fixing me a cup of coffee. I will try to get the much-need workout this week! 🙂

    1. I agree with you sis. Just traveling to and from work can really be stressful, especially here in the PH. I do have high respect for working mums who manage to maintain a healthy balance of things at work and at home even when they have a regular 9-5 job outside

  6. I would love my own workspace too. I love enjoying a good face mask too… you should go to Target and grab some Que Bella ones. They are super!

  7. I love my family. Sometimes I need a little me time though and really the best thing to me is a hot shower, a warm fluffy towel and 15 minutes of no one asking me for anything.

  8. I would definitely love my OWN space! With three kiddos who love bringing mom toys… it definitely becomes overwhelming. I would love to have a small office for ME to sew in with out my youngest messing up my machine if I have to use the bathroom heaven forbid. That would be oh so relaxing!

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