Short blasts of me time

There are so many different ways to take time out today, especially with the internet providing on-tap entertainment in multiple forms. The problem isn’t really what to do with free time – it’s more about finding that free time in the first place.

Mums who are at home with kids full-time are probably one of the worst groups of people for making time for themselves. When your kids don’t need you for five minutes, what do you do? If you’re like most mums, you’ll rush around doing some boring chores that you don’t’ have time to do otherwise, but that hardly constitutes a break!

The problem with breaks around the kids is that they need to be taken in short bursts rather than a couple of hours in one go. So here are just a few suggestions of how to take five in just five minutes.

Play some games

And we’re not talking Happy Families or Hide and Seek with the kids. Online games can be a great way to unwind in the middle of a busy day. There are games galore to choose from, of course, whether you like word games like Scrabble or those hand/eye coordination games like Candy Crush Saga. Bingo is also a great option and there are thousands of places to play it online at sites like bgo which also has a huge choice of slots and casino games. You can even play for free cash games. Five minutes of bingo can take you out of the mum-zone completely and it may just land you a great cash prize!

Take a deep breath

It may sound like a cliché but taking five minutes to concentrate and focus on your breathing and nothing else can act as a real energy boost. Learning to zone out and do nothing but focus on breathing can take practice, but if you do it regularly, you’ll begin to see these sessions can be as effective as having a half-hour nap. The tricky part is making sure the kids won’t disturb you – so you might want to time your deep breathing session with their favourite TV show!

DIY pampering

There are some beauty regimens that only take a few minutes; they don’t always need to involve a trip to the salon. Spend five minutes on your nails, filing and polishing them, or give yourself a foot scrub and massage. Our hands and feet often get neglected when we’re running around after small kids and taking five to look after them can give you a real lift!

Get some fresh air

Particularly in winter, unless you have somewhere you need to go; a whole day can pass without you leaving the building. Fresh air, even if it’s city air, is good for everyone. If you or the kids are feeling tetchy, there’s nothing better than five minutes in the garden or a walk around the block to clear that tension away.

However you spend those five minutes, make sure that you get a break now and then – it’ll make a big difference to your day!

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