This is a guest post by Julie, from the blog Beautiful You by Julie.
image credit: ‘Be Yourself Be Beautiful Ebook’ from Beautiful You by Julie.
Sometimes, (ok lots of times!), as women, wives, mothers, entrepreneurs, employees and all the other hats we wear – we put everything and everyone ahead of ourselves. We come last. To put ourselves ahead of anyone else is seen to be uncaring or even selfish. That we need to be martyr like as women to in fact, be, a good woman.
It all sounds very much like the right and good thing to do until it stops working for us and sometimes stops working for us in the most dramatic of fashions. We become overwhelmed, frantic and feeling like we can never do enough. Or we begin to shut down, unable to cope and just…stop.
I want to tell you that no matter how busy you think you may be or how many demands there are on your time that you can find ways to put yourself first and still be there for others you care about. It begins by knowing this…if you don’t put yourself first and treat yourself well, a torrent of resentment will build inside you for never truly having your needs met and you will teach others around you that it is ok for you to be last and not as deserving as others. Think about that for a moment if you are raising a daughter – or in fact a son – and the message that sends them.
The Organised Housewife is a truly amazing website that I know through here and Katrina’s many fans on Facebook provides you all with incredible tips to get organised and make your life just that little bit easier and more joyful. To reap the rewards of being organised though, my challenge to you is that you need to every so often (or please MORE than every so often!) allow time in your life to stop, breathe, relax and enjoy your surroundings and what you are creating for you and your family. To take some time out for you so you can recharge and continue with a sense of strength, self- love and renewal.
How can you do this?
Well…I don’t wish to give you any more things to organise but putting you first, especially if you aren’t used to do doing it does take some practice and yes, some organisation. A great deal of it is about ensuring you make a promise to yourself that you will find time in your day (even just five minutes!) or your week (even just an hour!) to set aside some time for yourself to do something you love and is rewarding to you. That’s the best thing I could think of for you that requires a little bit of organising. Here are a few ideas to get you started but YOU will be the best judge of what works for YOU.
5-15 Minutes in Your Day
- Learn a guided meditation (there are lots of great apps for this you can download free straight to your phone) you can do quietly to help refresh and reset your thinking – or simply take a small break.
- File and shape your nails and rub in some nice hand cream.
- Even if you’re just at home by yourself, put on your favourite pair of dangly earrings and a slick of lippy to give yourself a boost.
- Make your favourite cup of tea and sit down with a book or magazine. Go the whole hog and put your feet up while you’re at it!
- Ring a friend for a chat and giggle.
One Hour a Week
- Go for a walk by yourself or with someone you love to chat with. Movement and communication = the curer of many emotional ills.
- Take a class. Yoga, scrapbooking, dancing, tai chi, photography. What excites you to try?
- Take a long soaking bath and show your body some tender loving care. Glass of wine optional!
- Have lunch, brunch, coffee and a catch up with a girlfriend.
- Sleep. Sleep in or go to bed early. Sounds like such a simple thing but getting in some extra zzzz’s can be so beneficial to your overall health.
There are so many more things I could suggest to you but maybe you can share some of your ideas in a comment for The Organised Housewife community to benefit from! What do you do for you that allows you to regain your sense of self and be able to laugh, connect and truly enjoy all your efforts in being organised? Because if you don’t get time to enjoy it and see how it positively benefits your life – what truly is the point? The point to being organised is so that you can live a happier life that allows you time to fit in all the things you want to do that creates a meaningful and wonderful life. And yes, that truly does mean taking some organised time out to both celebrate and take care of YOU.
About Guest
Julie Parker is a certified coach and clinical counsellor for women who want to shine with passion, confidence and unshakable self-respect – and take magnificent strides towards beautiful bodies, beautiful businesses and beautiful lives. Through 1:1 sessions, both in person in Melbourne and virtually around the world, Julie’s clients sift through their dreams, set crystalline goals, dissolve limiting beliefs and celebrate their successes as they begin to live their song. At Beautiful You, Julie shares inspiring images and empowering words to help women cherish their bodies and claim their brilliance. Find her online at BeautifulYouByJulie.com, Facebook and Twitter.
This post was written by a guest contributor. If you are interested in ‘being my guest’ please visit Be my Guest page for more details.
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8 comments
Thank you – its good to be reminded 🙂
Easy to say, hard to do!
Great guest post. As a mother I definitely put myself last and that needs to change!
Your right Tia, you have to look after you and I am sure you will be a better mother for it!
thanks for the reminder
very true! think everyone needs ‘me’ time…i love to have a cup of tea an flick through emails once my 1year old is asleep 🙂
Hi Katrina!
Long time reader here, don’t think I have commented before though. Life has always been too busy! But the more emphasis I put on myself the more organised I am, the better life flows and the more time I have for fun stuff like blogging and blog reading!!
Oh my goodness, great guest post. More people need to know this! I have been working on this myself! I’m learning the importance of putting myself first. I love that has a flow on effect to the rest of the family (and family life) too.
Cheers,
Kate