Page 88 - Mother & Baby - UK (March 2020)

meaningful me-time

earth can I fit this in on top of all the other
things I have to do?’, we don’t blame you. Find your
It can feel stressful to even think about
adding something else you should be Unicorn
doing to that mammoth to-do list that Space
seems to come with being a mum. And Having trouble figuring
you are going to have to work at it. out how to spend your
But only just a little. meaningful me-time? let
‘Unicorn Space does not magically us give you some food
appear. You must actively create it by first for thought…
demanding it for yourself and then working If you
in collaboration with your partner to
systematically redistribute and rebalance miss… Creating
the household workload between you,’ says alwayshad a love of food and
Eve. ‘Just like with a roast dinner, it’s only experimenting? it can be easy to lose
after you take stuff off your plate that you yourenjoyment of cooking or baking
can add more of the good stuff.’ whenyou’retrying to convince your tot to
If you’re wondering what your own Unicorn eat her greens. Reclaim this time by
Space might look like, to start with you need heading to the library and picking up
to ask yourself a few questions. ‘What some new cookbooks. Bake something
would you like to create more time you’ve never tried before and drop
and mental and physical space it round to an elderly neighbour
for?’ says Eve. ‘It may seem like If you to taste test for you.
a fairy tale to carve out time miss…
to play piano again or Connecting
research the business idea
that you’ve put on the if you enjoy givingbacktoothers(and
back-burner for years, but it is possible forthistoextendbeyond
your family!), considerwhatyoucando
reclaiming your Unicorn
Space is worth your time. in your local areatospreadthelove.it
Your first step is to give could just be volunteeringtospend
time with the elderlyforReengage
yourself permission to let
your desire surface and make (reengage.org.uk),orfundraising
itself known.’ for a charitycloseto
yourheart.
And it can be fun to even If you
just think about taking up
something you’ve always wanted to miss… Achieving
give a go, or reclaiming a hobby you once Download the Couch to 5k app. the
enjoyed pre-baby. If you’re really struggling, easy-to-follow programme will start
consider what you find yourself automatically you off running for eight minutes (with
drawn to. Do you want to use your hands? To plenty of breaks), gradually working up to
get your heart racing? Or your brain ticking? a 5k run in as little as nine weeks. You can
‘A great real-life example is of a woman also connect with like-minded people
through the Couch to 5k forum, which
named Amy who began running again after
she and her partner renegotiated the domestic is full of advice, tips and motivation.
and childcare workload in their home,’ says get it for free on the app Store
and android.
Eve. ‘Where Amy used to run before having
kids as a form of exercise and self-care,
she took it to a ‘Unicorn’ level by If you
joining with a few fellow mums to miss… Learning
train for a local marathon. This
teachyourselftoplayan
connected her to an even larger get together to celebrate your
community of runners with a instrument,orbookalessonaweek dad’s 68th birthday. This will
shared goal and who supported if you canstretchtoit.Whetherit’sa help to make you accountable
violin orflute,allowyourselftimeto for fulfilling your goal, and will
each other every step of the way.’
It may also help to set a goal practiseeveryday.asyoustartto spur you on.
too. For example, you might tell growinconfidence,consider But don’t worry if what you
findinglike-mindedmusicians
yourself: ‘I will learn to make a youcanplaywithand choose to do in your Unicorn
croquembouche, ready for Dad’s learnfrom. Space doesn’t work out how you
birthday in May.’ Then it’s time to go thought it might, or even if you
one step further by committing to this just change your mind – nothing is
goal by inviting your family round for a set in stone. Alternatively, as you grow

86 | Mar ch 2020 | mothe ra ndbaby.co.uk