As I’ve written before, “self-care” time needs to be penciled in several times a week in order for me to stay sane and to be the best employee and parent I can be. The overwhelming majority of the time, that self-care time is allotted to exercise, with the occasional solo trip to Target (and the obligatory accompanying Starbucks latte) or pedicure.
As I’m currently dealing with a bout of the dreaded plantar fasciitis and having to back off some of my usual cardio options, I’ve found myself having an infinitesimally larger amount of free time than usual.
I think it’s really easy for parents to say, “oh I’m injured, I can’t run/bike/[insert go-to physical activity here], I’ll just use that extra time to do chores/watch my daughter play with her animal magnets for the thousandth time,” but parents need that self-care time more than just about anyone else!
However, you just might need to broaden your view on what that self-care time will look like. A few suggestions:
Focus on What you CAN Do
I also think, parent or not, it’s easy to fall into a mindset when you’re injured of “well, I can’t do this, so it’s hopeless and I can’t do any exercise at all, woe is me.” I’ve found myself starting to go down that rabbit hole a time or two, and let me (or my husband!) tell you, it is not a fun place to be. Instead, I try to focus on what I can do, and most of the time, depending on the injury, there is SOME kind of physical activity that I can do. Instead of running, for example, I’ll start going to my pool more often to swim. Several area pools have punch cards or daily fees so that you don’t have to commit to a yearly membership. Another option is trying new cardio or strength classes via ClassPass, which can also be a way to find a brand new activity that you love, such as cycling class or pilates. On the other hand, getting back into strength training at home instead of going to a class actually takes less time and doesn’t require leaving the house, which is also a bonus during the cold months of Wisconsin winter!
Other Types of Self-Care and Tasks
I’ll also try to implement other forms of self-care, such as taking the 15 minutes to actually do a face mask (mental note: realllly need to do this more often!), or using my diffuser with an energizing or relaxing blend of essential oils and listening to a new podcast.
I know I’ve mentioned NOT using my free time for chores, but instead of doing the mundane and constant vacuuming or loads of laundry, I will occasionally tackle a task that’s outside of what I’d normally have time for during my hurried nap time cleaning, and one that will actually make me feel accomplished and more sane when I’ve finished it. One recent example is organizing my daughter’s closet (finally! she’s only 21 months old!).
Remembering the Big Picture
At the end of the day, and especially after becoming a mom, I know that my workout-related injury is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. I’ll eventually heal from the injury, and even if I don’t get all of my penciled “self-care” time in, I know that, with my little girl by my side, it will all work out just fine in the end.
