AS THE COUNTRY comes to terms with a new way of living, looking after ourselves (and others) is more important than ever.
If you’re a parent, you’ve probably been spending more time at home with your family than usual over the past few weeks, and your own self-care routine may have taken a backseat as a result.
Over the next few Mondays, we’ll be hearing from people around Ireland about how they practise self-care every day. To kick off our Mindful Mondays series with Vitabiotics, we spoke to mums and dads around the country about how they make time for wellness in their everyday life – from painting to meditation before bed.
Here’s what they had to say…
1. I don’t do housework after 8:30pm
Self-care is so important to me. It gives me a chance to re-energise and maintain who I am, aside from being a mam. I regularly use nap time to have a cup of tea and food in peace before I do housework, and I have a cut-off time once the baby is in bed. I use about an hour to do jobs around the house and prepare food, then from 8:30pm onwards that’s my time for Netflix, a face mask or whatever I fancy. All the little moments add up and give you more energy to be the best parent you can be.
- Debbie, mum of one in Dublin
2. Painting and decorating help me switch off
Since lockdown started, I’ve been painting everything in sight. I find it very calming. I did a mural in the back garden for the kids, and this week I’ll be doing the hall, stairs, landing and banisters, and next week the kitchen cabinets are getting revamped.
On a normal day, myself and my husband take it in turns to get up with the children so the other can relax and unwind when we wake up. Copious amounts of coffee helps, too.
- Laura, mum of three in Dublin
3. I find small pockets of time for self-care throughout the day
I wait until I’ve changed and fed my three-year-old and eight-month-old before I have tea in the morning so I can actually drink it before it goes cold. Sometimes I make dinner that will last for two days so when their dad comes home from work I can go for a long walk with my dog.
- Mandy, mum of two in Dublin
4. I walk the dog when I need time to myself
I work freelance so I’m lucky in the way that I get to balance working big enough jobs which allow me to take time off when the work is done. This means I get to spend a good bit of time helping with parental duties and hanging out with our son. We’ve also got a dog, though, so if I do need to get out of the house I’ll take him for a long walk. And if there’s time, I’ll also doodle or draw in an app on my phone or iPad.
- Conor, dad of one in Dublin
5. I’ve set a positivity challenge with my mam
I live in Australia and my mam is at home in Ireland. Since self-isolation began, I’ve been doing a self-care challenge with my mam where we send each other a photo of something nice we did for ourselves that day. It only needs to be something simple, but it’s a nice reminder to mind myself during the day. It’s a great way for us to stay connected, too.
- Josephine, mum of two from Mayo, living in Australia
6. I’ve discovered a workout routine that works for me – and the kids
I get up early and go for a run while the kids eat breakfast, or later in the evening when they go to bed. It depends on if my husband has to work from home early. At night, I do a bedtime yoga routine that my body recognises as wind-down time. I will listen to that going asleep and generally don’t wake up again until morning.
I also do classes through my gym online. Sometimes the kids join in, if they want. Joe Wicks’ workouts online have been great so the whole family can get involved.
- Ciara, mum of two in Kildare
7. Wearing something ‘fancy’ makes me feel good
Getting dressed up and feeling pretty makes me feel like my old self for a few hours. Then it’s back to leggings and bare-faced me!
- Grainne, mum of one in Dublin
8. Taking time to do yoga before bed helps me relax
Once the girls are in bed, it’s complete ‘me’ time. I always do a light yoga stretch routine, no more than 15-20 minutes, with my favourite music playing. I find it really helps me relax, especially if the girls have been having an off-day. Before bed, I love to listen to guided meditation.
With two seven-month-old babies on the go all day, every day, self productivity in quarantine is a little harder to accomplish. I like to focus on my self-care and do whatever I need to do in order to remain positive during this time.
- Amy, mum of two in Donegal
Take care of yourself and your family with the Vitabiotics Well range, available from Irish pharmacies in store and online. From Wellbaby to Wellteen to Wellman and Wellwoman, there’s a supplement for every age and every lifestyle. Check out the full range here.
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