Insanity Check - 6 things you must make time for in order to be a better mom

The summer is quickly coming to an end and before we know it, the long endless summer days will be replaced with the hustle and bustle of school days, after school activities, rushing back and forth to appointments, kids parties, etc.  

And while I might not have the answer on time management, there's one thing that I'm absolutely sure of- you need to make time for yourself.   I know many people worry about being selfish but I truly believe - if you are not personally 100%, then I don't see how you can give 100% to your family, work, or anything else that demands your attention. 

There are 6 things you absolutely must make time for: 

1. Gym time/active time - nothing is a mood booster like a workout is. Yes it's hard work, but the energy and accomplishment you feel afterwards is priceless. And the best part is, the benefits don't end there! Every little step or action you take moves you closer to your overall fitness goal. You have nothing to lose.  While there are many physical benefits to this, imagine that alone time in your head. That's valuable time for positive affirmations.  My favorite form of exercise is dance - you can dance from the comfort of your own home with so many options here. 
2. Food prep - you've heard this quote "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." There are so many benefits to prepping your meals for the day/week. First you save money. Second you are controlling what's going into your body. You control how much sugar, fats, vitamins, nutrients that go into your body and for those you love. Thirdly, you save time throughout the week. Instead of wondering each and everyday what you are going to have for dinner, if you've planned it out then you'll have all your ingredients ready and hopefully chopped and ready to cook.  
3. Weekly face mask - your skin will thank you later...and so will your sanity. All it takes is 15 minutes. Put on a sheet mask, or a charcoal mask. Read your favorite book for 15 minutes, meditate, listen to your favorite podcast or playlist, and wash off! Your skin will feel like a million bucks and you'll be so happy that you made 15 minutes of time for yourself.  My favorite masks to use are by Peter Thomas Roth and my favorite sheet masks are my Skin Laundry. 
4. Personal things that you love to do- I know this is a tough one but put it into your calendar. Weekly might be aggressive but if you can do bi-weekly that would be amazing. Go to a coffee shop and read a book for an hour, spend time perusing an antique shop, nurture your inner green thumb, join the local volleyball team. Do something for you. The rest of the time is almost always for the rest of the family so focus this time for yourself 
5. Focus on something to help your side hustle and propel your business forward. We live in an age where our full time job is not our only job. We live in an age where the term "stay at home mom's" doesn't exist anymore.   Everyone has a gig. Everyone is an entrepreneur. We all have ideas. But what are you doing to put those ideas into action? Make time into your day/week to focus on your side business.  A great resource for helping you create an actionable plan is the Passion Planner. It helps you break down your dream goal into minute goals so reaching the overall goal doesn't seem so daunting.   If you need motivation, You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero is an amazing book. 🏼
6. Talk to your girlfriend. We all have different friends for various situations. You have your co- worker who you can vent to about your crappy boss, your spontaneous friend who you can call to go out for drinks or even to go dancing with, your friend you can cry to. Make time for the girlfriend who makes you laugh the most. She's the one you can probably be the most real with because you both share the same sense of humor. 

Make time for these 6 things regularly and you will be the best person you can be for your family.