OPINION

Opinion: Me-Time

by Natalie Jarvie

Graphic Designer

Everyone needs personal time and space—a sanctuary, if you will.

As a new mom, I find myself wearing so many hats: a mom, a wife, a student, a graphic designer at the school paper and an employee. It’s not hard to see how the “Natalie” hat does not get as much time as it should.

“Me time” doesn’t have to be an all-day thing. Whether it’s going to a self-defense class once a week, getting a much-needed coffee because moms never sleep, or even sometimes going to the store are good stress relievers; everyone needs that time for themselves. Whatever your thing is, it is important to take that time for yourself. If you don’t have something, then figure that out first. It could be an opportunity to start trying new things. It doesn’t have to be something big. Like I said, it could even be going to the store if that is what makes you happy.

Parenting.com says moms should have at least 15—20 minutes of “me time” a day to decompress, citing Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, who has a doctorate in psychology and is author of “The Hidden Feelings of Motherhood.” Even five minutes is helpful for me some days. Just to sit down and be able to breathe, drink a cup of coffee or just plain relax and do nothing for a minute. How do we find time for ourselves?

If you take a second and breathe, things aren’t as stressful—at least for me. Something else I do to help with stress is making a list of what I need to do for the day such as cleaning, homework, etc., then figuring out when I’ll be able to do those things during my daughter’s daily schedule. It is usually during naps or play time. It has been helpful for me to put her on a schedule as well because then I will know when I will be free to do the things I need to do throughout the day.

Finally, being a new mom is never an easy task. We are all just doing what we can. Everyone needs time for themselves and nobody ever knows what to do right off the bat. Being a mom is a learning process for everyone and we are all trying our best. Keep it up; we got this!