I would love a long, pampering, luxurious vacation as much as the next guy or gal, but on for this frugal, single parent it is not really in my future as far as I can see. What I have learned over the years (although I often forget and have to remind myself) is that self-care and personal health can really be in the most ordinary daily details. A little bit of looking after oneself can go a long way.
I am not just talking about hot baths and nice lotions here, but also learning how to say “no” and protect one’s time and energy; choosing healing and energizing people to be around; watching get too overworked or overextended; finding those things that feed and nurture your soul and making sure to include them in your life on a regular basis. Those are the sorts of things I’m talking about!
If I remind myself to sit down and eat a healthy, appetizing meal–even if my teens are not with me; to stop off and have supper out or get my hair trimmed; or to take myself to a movie, play or ballet at the end of a hard week–I am less likely to feel frazzled and taken advantage of. Until the day someone shows up unexpectedly on my doorstep with dinner and a bottle of wine at the end of a harried day (and in nearly forty-one years, it hasn’t happened so far so I’m not really holding out hope)–it is up to me to pay attention to those little details and treat myself with care and thoughtfulness. Again, it doesn’t have to be huge expensive items or luxury vacations–it is the little daily doses of self-care that can make the difference between a balanced, healthy single parent and a stressed-out, overwhelmed one!
Also: Never Underestimate the Power of Baths and Naps