Time-Outs for Moms

Moms need time-outs, too! 10 ways to relax and recharge—in 20 minutes or less!

By Christina Katz
As a new mother, I definitely had my own meltdown moments, usually when I was endeavoring for the umpteenth time to finally get something done. That's when my baby girl would start to shriek, one of our cats would knock over a house plant, and something would boil over on the stove.

     At times like these I'd stop whatever I was doing, pick up my pouty-lipped princess, and start plotting my next 20-minute "time-out." It's the best trick I've learned for avoiding mommy burnout, and 20 minutes is (really!) all you need.

     The next time you have a similarly crazy day, give yourself a time-out. (If you find you're clock-watching, try setting the alarm on your cell phone, or a kitchen timer, for 10-20 minutes.) Then try one of these stress-busters:

1.  Sit outside under a tree. Listen. Write what you hear in a poem.

2.  Flip through your photos. Reminiscing with childhood photos or family photo albums helps us remember what it was like to view the world through innocent eyes.

3.  Buy yourself flowers. Get an inexpensive bunch of in-season flowers (or two or three) and arrange them in your prettiest vases around the house. During winter, try tangling a strand of Christmas lights through a gathering of bare tree branches.

4. Lather like a rock star. Sing in the shower as loudly as you like. Buy soaps and shampoos with scents that inspire you.

5. Take a mini-vacation to a foreign land. Spend $10 at an ethnic market on something you would never ordinarily buy.

Looking for more ways to "Beat Mommy Burnout"? Click here!

  7.  Visualize calm and comfort. Imagine a natural place where you feel safe and comfortable. What happens when you visualize yourself talking to an older, wiser version of yourself there? Write the results in your journal.

  8.  Set your alarm clock for 20 minutes... Lay down and start counting backwards from one hundred. When your alarm goes off, you'll be rested and refreshed, whether you fell asleep or not.

  9.  Enjoy the perfect cup of tea. Savor your favorite tea cookies, too, while daydreaming by an open window. My mother used to keep her "special cookies" hidden so the kids couldn't raid her secret stash. Now I do too.

10.  Soak your stresses away. Turn on some soothing music, fire up as many candles as you can find, dim the lights, and sink into a sumptuous bubble bath.

     Once you've found your favorite ways to relax and refresh a little, post your top five somewhere where you'll see them, like on the fridge or next to the bathroom mirror. When you take 20 minutes for yourself, you make life a little brighter for the whole family. Make it a habit and you'll see.