Once you are a mom, days off are incredibly rare. Between balancing all of the other commitments in your life, there is little time for just you.
However, every now and again, like a gift from up above, a day off appears. It might have been one you’ve been planning for weeks. Or, it might just materialize in front of you the day before.
Whichever way it comes, and in whichever form, you must be sure to make the most of it. Here are four ways that you can do exactly this.
Plan, create and devour the perfect breakfast
We all know that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. We also know that breakfast has all the potential to be the best meal ever. Yet, due to the fact that we are so often rushing to work or on the school run, it gets missed. Or, if we do eat, it’s something quick and easy.
Make the most of your day off by creating a breakfast so delicious you won’t want to finish it. You could even start planning a couple of days in advance, so you can be sure you have the ingredients in the house. How about some Bacon and Egg cups with a glass of OJ and a steaming mug of coffee?
Do something you love
It may well be that you spend a lot of your time facilitating your family with the things they love. Letting your husband take the car to the gym, or running your son to soccer practice, for example. On your day off, do something that you love. If you are a secret artist at heart but haven’t picked up a paintbrush in months, fix this! Used to love playing the piano, but have been watching it collect dust recently? Give it a wipe and getting playing.
Alternatively, try out something that you think you will love. Attend that Pilates class you’ve meant to try out for a while. Or just curl up with a favorite book and a blanket! Whatever makes you happy.
Leave the cleaning to someone else
When the spouse is occupied elsewhere, and the kids are out of the house, what do we tend to do? Look around the house and think “I’ll just do a quick clean!” STOP RIGHT THERE! There should be no cleaning on your day off. Or not by you, anyway. Hire house cleaning services instead. This frees you up to be using your day off for relaxing and recharging your batteries.
Stay well away from your computer
If your career is based around communication on the web, stay away from your computer on your day off. As long as your employer knows that you are having a day off, and you have set an out of office notification on your emails, you are fine. Everybody is entitled to time off every now and again. Seeing emails arrive will only tempt you to read them, and then it’s a slippery slope down to pulling a two-hour shift on your sofa! Turn off your computer, and deactivate emails on your cell while you’re at it.
