When my second child was born, my oldest was fourteen months old. I noticed a definite change in his behaviour and put it down to his not liking being the only child any more. I figured he didn’t like someone else getting attention, but I was wrong. It wasn’t that he didn’t like my needing to deal with the baby; he didn’t like the fact he wasn’t getting any 1:1 time with me. 

Once I realised that, I made a concerted effort to spend time with him with the baby in another room. Sometimes it was only five minutes, but that five minutes was all he needed to feel special. 

And so it is with everyone. Even as an adult, we still have a need to have special, quality time for ourselves. It might be only five minutes, but that five minutes can work wonders to recharge our energy and help us have a mental reset, move past anything which is bothering us and approach the world with renewed vigour. 

I can appreciate how difficult this can be at times – I had five children under the age of 8 at one point, living as a single parent in South Wales. Time out was a rare luxury! But I had strict bedtime for the older four, and the youngest was very happy to sleep next to me, so I could have an hour or two child free before I went to bed. While there were times when I had to make a decision between sleep or time to myself, I always made sure I did at least one little thing I enjoyed before settling down for the night, even if it was just a five minute meditation.

So ask yourself, what’s the one thing you can commit to doing for yourself every day? And I don’t mean mindlessly scrolling on social media! My things are:

•  Meditation
• Walking my dogs for an hour
• 20 minute workout
• Taking an Epsom salt bath

I do at least two of these things every single day; most days I do all of them. And once a week I have a dedicated day off where I do absolutely nothing which I don’t want to do. A day off might seem like an impossible dream when you’ve got so much on your plate. That’s certainly what I thought when a coach first suggested it to me. But I’ve found that the less I do and the more time I devote to recharging, the more I actually achieve. 

I’m not saying you need to go full on and try to implement All The Things right from the start. But just pick one thing you know will bring you joy, something which only takes five minutes so you don’t have to worry about finding the time, and start doing it today. Don’t promise yourself you’ll start tomorrow or Monday or the beginning of next month. Do it today. 

And if you really don’t think you have time, I’ve got a little video for you which might change your mind on that front!

One thing you can do for yourself today is to come to chakra dance meditation. This is an hour and a half class of mindful movement where you work through your body’s energy centres for a holistic workout for mind, body and soul. 

Or if you really want to give yourself a treat, book a spot on my Journey into the Chakras day retreat in Glastonbury on 26 February. I’ve got a beautiful day planned filled with meditations and self-discovery. By the end of the day you’ll be filled with a stronger sense of who you are and just incredible a person you were born to be! Comment below or email me if you need any further information.