As summer draws to an end and the call of the school runs, packed lunches etc grows louder, please remember to take time to rejuvenate yourself before the loop of term time motherhood restarts.
- Take 20 minutes that belongs entirely to you — no chores, children or admin.
- Go for a walk alone without turning it into an errand.
- Say no without writing an essay explaining why.
- Eat something nourishing before you become ravenously hungry.
- Go to bed earlier instead of trying to reclaim your life at midnight.
- Book the appointment you keep postponing — GP, dentist, optician, smear test, mammogram.
- Meet a friend who makes you feel better after seeing them.
- Unfollow social-media accounts that make you feel inadequate.
- Buy yourself flowers for absolutely no reason.
- Put yourself in the family diary. Your time counts too.
- Ask for help before you reach breaking point.
- Have a morning or afternoon completely alone.
- Move your body for pleasure, not simply to lose weight.
- Wear clothes that make you feel good now, rather than waiting until you’ve changed your body.
- Restart something you loved before motherhood.
- Learn something purely because you’re interested in it.
- Stop automatically volunteering for every family job.
- Let somebody else cook dinner — beans on toast absolutely counts as cuisine. 😂
- Create one small ritual that’s yours — morning coffee, journalling, gardening, reading or an evening walk.
- Protect friendships outside motherhood.
- Spend money occasionally on your own enjoyment, without feeling you should have spent it on the children.
- Take yourself somewhere — café, cinema, gallery, bookshop or even a little solo day trip.
- Have boundaries with adult children too. Motherhood doesn’t mean permanent 24-hour availability.
- Stop trying to make every birthday, Christmas and family occasion perfect.
- Do absolutely nothing sometimes — without earning it first.
- Ask yourself, “What do I need?” as readily as you ask that question about everyone else.
Enjoy what’s left of August.
P/S: List generated with the help of AI.
