The Mother’s Guide to Taking a Break

This is a guest post by Caz Makepeace, from the blog yTravel Blog.

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There’s the pull that comes with being a mother.

From one direction to the next, the demands never stop.

The dishes continue to pile up in the sink as you race around in a frantic 15 minute pick-up-everything-from-the floor-and-shove-it-somewhere dash.

You’ve only got 15 minutes because you eldest is begging you to play Barbie schools and you promised a quick five minute game before you start peeling the potatoes for dinner.

Somewhere in between the baby wakes and needs changing and while wiping away poop you quickly steal a minute to process the day you just had at work.

The pull didn’t stop there either: Meetings to attend, paper work to file, customers to please, or if you are a teacher like me, children calling you all sorts of names and swinging from the rafters, making sure that you don’t get a chance to teach anyone anything.

Your husband’s not even home yet; and you’re so exhausted you couldn’t really care. How am I ever going to utter a “Hello,” let alone, “How was your day honey? Let me get your coat”?

Its times like these that make you want to climb to the top of the nearest tower and shout “Stop the world, I want to get off.”

Except we can’t really do that, can we?

Stop the world?

Stop Your World

There are certain things however that we can stop.

Life never used to be this hectic, remember?

Sure, there are now children, and husbands, and jobs and responsibilities, but underneath all that still lies the you that has always been you.

It’s just been buried there for a while by the roles, the labels, and the responsibilities.

When you feel like stopping the world that is your cue to take a much needed break.

At some point, you need to put away the chores, the mothering, the planning and the life organizing and just allow yourself to be.

Organize You

You’re focused this month on Organising You. Looking after your mind and body in order for you to have a healthy life; it is a priority and is not something for you to feel guilty about, like we mother’s love to do.

You cannot have a healthy mind if you don’t take time to stop and breathe. If you don’t, you might find yourself recovering from two unexpected surgeries in a hospital bed over Christmas, like I just did.

Sure enough, life will stop you somewhere.

Create a Holiday Change

A friend of mine once told me, “Caroline, a change is as good as a holiday.”

No truer words have been spoken and throughout my life I have taken them to also mean the best avenue for change is a holiday.

Place the word holiday, or travel, in your mind right now. What images and phrases does it conjure up for you?

I bet already you are starting to relax as you think of those carefree days of adventure and discovery, romantic beach walks, sunset swings in hammocks with a good book and a glass of wine.

So much time to relax and just be who you want to be; no directional pulls just a gentle swinging to the rhythm you create.

It feels so good, doesn’t it? It’s because this is how you are supposed to feel. This is what life is really about.

Make a Travel Date

Use this month of Organizing You to plan time for yourself for that getaway or holiday experience you crave.

Pencil in the words “travel date” into your calendar now. Make it a priority.

It could be something as simple as

• Girl’s getaway
• Weekend camping trip
• Week long beachside retreat
• Rock climbing course
• Family two week holiday
• Overnight spa experience that I have always desired
• Romantic hot air balloon with the love of my life who I have not googly eyed for far too long
• Or, my personal favourite, “My day to do what I want, when I want, where I want… because I can.”

Travel doesn’t have to a monumental task that involves expensive flight tickets, visas, passports, and dragging the kids to far flung destinations… or it could be, if you want.

Travel is about leaving behind the things that suffocate you for a while. It’s about experiencing life unencumbered without any responsibilities. Even if it is just for a day, it will nourish and rejuvenate your soul.

Instead of being pulled by life, you can now embrace what you love about it: optimal health, peace, celebration, creating strong memories with your family, spending quality time with your lover, connecting to the spiritual world, and rediscovering what is most important to you.

When will you give yourself a chance to leave everything behind? Write it in your diary now — in ink — and begin the planning and anticipation. Don’t break this date with yourself. 

About Guest

Caz Makepeace has lived and travelled around the world since 1997. She shares her lessons learned from travel and her travel stories and tips at her blog y travel blog, which she owns with her husband Craig. You can connect with them on their facebook page 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.