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Being a mom consumes more time than you’d have thought and is so overwhelming that you barely find time for your long-forgotten hobbies. Congratulations, it means that you’re mastering it! However, focusing on everything but yourself and neglecting yourself for extended periods can become a problem and harm your mental and physical health. For your baby to grow healthy and happy, you must first care for their momma!
If a trip is off the table in the foreseeable future and the walls feel like closing in on you, use those few free hours you have to yourself to engage in an activity that unlocks your mind and brings long-term health benefits. Here are some rewarding pastimes that will make fighting through stressful days and improving your mood easier.
Crack a new book open
Do you remember those golden days when you could lay on the sofa and get lost in your favorite book for hours? There are no quarrels, yells, screams, and certainly nothing to take you out of the world you immersed yourself into. Because you’re focusing on everyone’s needs and working hard to do what is in others’ best interest, you may sometimes forget that you also need your attention. But you’ll gain that peace of mind when you flick through the pages and practice mindful reading.
Reading books is more than a pastime; it’s a lifestyle. This healthy activity helps relieve stress, keep your mind sharp, and, most importantly, prevent cognitive decline. It awakens your empathy and creative side, takes you away from negative thoughts, and forces your mind to “escape.”
Since you’re up and running all day, you want a profound nighttime sleep to recharge your batteries for another hard day of being a mommy. In this regard, flipping the pages of a book will help send your consciousness to another place and “de-stimulate” your brain to induce sleep.
Grow your cannabis
It seems like increasingly more mothers are introducing cannabis into their lives. In more and more states, the famous “wine o’clock” is being replaced by cannabis o’clock. Cannabis flowers have been long researched and linked to several health benefits, including relieving chronic pain and related stress. They’re also helpful in helping mothers manage social anxiety, PTSD, and depression, as the endocannabinoid compounds trigger feelings of relaxation. Similar effects can result from gardening and taking care of your own plants. For this reason, you can get the best out of both worlds if cannabis is legal in your country. The chosen strain impacts the size, smell, leaf thickness, and other aspects of your plant and your feelings when consuming it. The northern lights strain, for instance, do well indoors and outdoors. This plant produces buds loaded with resin and using them evokes feelings of comfort, making it an excellent way to relax your mind and body when you want to unwind. And if you grow your plants more effortlessly, autoflowering seeds produce flowers full of buds regardless of how much sun they’re exposed to. You can grow them indoors just as efficiently and quickly, and their maturation stages take around three times to complete, regardless of this aspect. And if you want to install their setting outside, their small stature stops them from catching curious neighbors’ attention.
Squeeze in a workout
When it comes to exercise, fitness doesn’t necessarily have to imply going out. You can enjoy all the health benefits of stretching and exercising from the comfort of your home. As a mom, you likely have an active lifestyle and move around a lot. But there’s always time for “organized” movements.
You can achieve that calm state of mind by working out when chaos enters your life. All you need are suitable clothes and a designated spot, and you’re good to go. And if you only have several minutes of freedom and don’t want to spend valuable time taking off your pajama to dress accordingly, it’s okay, as long as you put this time to good use.
You’ll burn calories, keep your body in check, and build endurance. Additionally, fitness regulates dopamine levels that boost mood, improve focus, and overcome fatigue. When you’re exercising from the comfort of your house, you take some pressure off as you don’t have to deal with the distractions at the gym, knowing you make the most of your time dedicated to sports. From five minutes to half an hour of exercising, each little step can help you reach that sweet freedom.
Get a paintbrush and sketchbook
Painting is among the most common self-expression tools and ways to boost creativity and express feelings. This hobby sparks instant joy and has many health benefits, both short- and long-term. Many individuals return from their painting sessions feeling refreshed and recharged; undoubtedly, you seek this mood, too.
This pastime is an all-brain exercise that sharpens your mind and regulates dopamine levels. It can be a cathartic experience that allows you to access your inner self and the feelings that hide in your subconscious. You can handle stressful emotions you may experience now and then, eliminating the anguish that results from not exploring your feelings. This is why psychologists recommend painting to patients who went through trauma to let go of anxious emotions in a safe, beneficial environment.
Write things down
Writing is an effective and pleasant way to dump negative thoughts and make room for healthy ones. Additionally, it helps you keep track of stories or observations about your days, especially in stressful periods. You’ve likely had a journal as a teenager, so you can recall the freedom felt when you’d eliminate stressful thoughts.
Journaling manages anxiety, helps you track symptoms to control them better, and helps you prioritize your concerns and problems.
It only takes a little to immerse yourself into new hobbies when time allows. From zoning out on the couch to practicing mindful reading to growing your plants, everything that makes you happy is a thing you should engage with more.
