Relax

Ultimate Night of Stay at Home Pampering

Well, lucky you, you’re finally getting two seconds to look at an article on the Internet.  Before we run out of time, we should probably get right down to business, don’t you think?  The odds are excellent that you are sleep deprived and a little frayed around the edges.  If you’re a mum, you might even have a sticker of some cute farm animal stuck on your bum.  Don’t worry, we’re parents here, you’re in a safe place and we understand.

So, take a deep breath and start thinking about you for a moment.  Again, it’s okay if you have to read this article in several chunks because someone is tugging at your arm or screaming the background.  Again, we understand.  We’ll wait.

You think about other people all day and all night long, but every now and agaiogn you should think about a little self-pampering at home.  You know, something a little “fancier” than crying yourself to sleep at night.  So what should an exhausted and bewildered woman do at home to pamper herself?

Let’s take a quick look.

Step One – Set Aside the Time

finding-time

Pampering yourself is a lot like doing your taxes in that if you don’t set aside the time and force yourself to do it, the taxes will never get done.  This means you’ll need to make it a priority.  If that means getting a babysitter for the night, threatening your husband or begging your mother or a friend to come over and give you a much deserved “time out,” then so be it.

If no one wants to help, just drop hints like this, “Today I was driving and I couldn’t remember which pedal was the accelerator and which pedal was the brake.  Has that ever happened to you?  I mean, I just couldn’t remember.”  Okay, don’t go that far, but you get the idea.

Even if you aren’t a mum, you probably have trouble setting aside time for yourself.  There probably always seems to be something more pressing to do.  You have probably read in books the importance of “taking care of yourself.”   Many women sigh, nod their heads and dream about all the nice things they could do.  But they never take action.  It’s time to change that dynamic for good.

Step Two – Tranquillity, Peace and Quiet… or Else!

Now that someone else is taking care of the children, your next task is to get some quiet.  Lock the door, put on some headphones with calming music or use earplugs, dim the lights and de-stress.  You might fall asleep, and that isn’t the end of the world.  If you can manage to stay away that is, of course, even better.

Now try to meditate a bit.  After all, meditation has been proven to reduce stress levels, and that is a very big deal for you.  Did you know that stress hormones weaken the immune system and lead to aging? Recent studies have shown that switching to healthy foods and meditating can actually reverse, yes reverse, a moderate amount of aging.  Check out this article, Meditation May be the Future of Anti-Aging. (http://www.naturalnews.com/028157_meditation_longevity.html) Yes, you can actually turn the clock back a little bit; this should get you motivated!

Step Three – Pamper Away

relacing-bathtub

No one knows better than you do what will make you feel pampered the most.  A warm bath really is a good idea in that it will help you relax your muscles and reduce your stress levels even more.  Dim the lights; grab some candles.  A relaxing bath after a twenty or thirty minute meditation session will help you feel like a new person.

Check out our bathtime aromatherapy article for some ideas.

Buy a fancy body scrub that smells wonderful.  Make sure you find one with all natural ingredients.  Chemicals are the last thing you need right now. If you can find one with aromatherapy that tackles stress, even better! Try applying the scrub before you enter the bath, as this is the way they handle exfoliation at a spa.  Why not consider a bubble bath while you’re at it?  It’s probably been a long, long time since you’ve had one.

Of course, you may have to keep your headphones or earplugs in during your bath to drown out the chaos swirling outside the bathroom door, but that is okay.  This is your alone time, so enjoy it.

Step Four – Happy Thoughts, Yes, Happy Thoughts. We Mean It

happy-balloon

During this entire process, your thoughts should be happy ones.  Don’t think about negative things; don’t think about the stress in your life.  Don’t think about that co-worker that you hate so much that you almost pass out.  Instead, focus on peace, love and tranquillity.  If you need to cry during your alone time, that is okay too because you are alone.  No one will judge you but you.  Be nice to yourself.

If you follow these four steps, you should walk out of your bedroom or bathroom a little bit more relaxed and ready to once again take on the soul-crushing job of being a mother.  Oh, we’re kidding; after all, what is better than being a mum?  The answer: being a mum that takes a break every so often.  Take a break- you deserve it.

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