Motherhood can feel like an endless ride on the hamster wheel from hell with no end in sight.

Every moment of our lives is spoken for from the minute we wake up to the second we lay our heads down on our pillow for another night of much-needed (often interrupted) rest.

Talk about the perfect breeding ground for resentment!

Often, in motherhood, we don’t take up space in our lives. There are so many varied reasons why we don’t take time to fill our own cups, but one of them is simply believing we don’t have the time.

Taking care of and reconnecting with ourselves isn’t just about retreats and girl’ trips. It doesn’t have to be that grandiose. Sometimes, it’s just 15 minutes of connection.

Here are six practices that take no more than 15 minutes of your day and will leave you feeling fulfilled and reconnected with yourself—until you can book that retreat.

1. Bring a little delicious into your life. Bring intention to a daily practice or activity. Whether it’s taking five deep breaths over your cup of coffee, or lighting your favorite candle and bringing your favorite body scrub into the shower, you can add delicious to the mundane and make it a self-care practice that fills your cup.

2. Dance party for one. Pick one or two of your absolute favorite songs and dance freely, moving your body however it feels called to move. If you feel self-conscious doing this, it can be helpful to close your eyes, but make sure the room is clear of any tripping hazards before you do!

3. Put on a guided meditation. There are thousands of free meditations out there on various apps and websites. Find a few that feel good for you and rotate them out depending on how you’re feeling that day.

4. Drive. Get in that car and drive away! Blast some of your favorite music, or roll the windows down and let the wind be your soundtrack. Get out of that house and out into the outside world, even if for just 15 minutes.

5. Sip on something in silence. Whether it’s getting up earlier than the kids, or after they go to bed, pour yourself your favorite beverage and savor it in complete silence.

6. Nightcap journal. Before you go to bed for the night, write out three or five things you got “right” today. This is a beautiful practice to ending your day with a positive, hopeful mindset rather than one of defeat.

Most importantly, you deserve to take up space, mama. While we love our children with our whole hearts, we weren’t meant to sacrifice our entire identity, needs, and desires in order to be considered a “good” mom.

I promise you that you don’t need to disappear to be an incredible mom. On the contrary, the more space you make for yourself, the more your children will see that it’s okay to take up space themselves.

What a gift, right?

~

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