• Home
  • About
  • Categories
    • Parenting
    • Wellbeing
    • Travel
    • Living
  • Courses
  • Contact

Mamas Find Your Voice

June 21, 2022

For Mothers: What do you do with your free time?

Free time as a mummy.

It’s a weird feeling when we finally get some, isn’t it?

It’s like we’ve got some kinda peaceful but fragile date with ourselves.

There’s zero idea how long it’ll last, mind you, but we know we’ve gotta make the most of it while we’ve got it!

From personal experience, free time happens once in a blue moon.

Pretty much never.

But tonight, writing this, is my very blue moon.

Both babies in bed by 8pm, and still sleeping! It’s now 8.23pm.

The thing is, when we do get alone time, we’ll spend as much time trying to figure out what to do with that time that in the end, we’re on the sofa scrolling. 

I’ve got bookshelves filled with books, online training to do, friends to contact, movies to watch, poems to write… the list is endless, it really is.

A wooden heart necklace on a hessian tray with paper and glass nearby.

What Do You Do With Your Free Time

Now I vehemently believe that any free time we get as mothers shouldn’t be spent working, or doing something productive all the time.

Yet equally, we don’t want to waste precious time scrolling on Instagram or Facebook numbing our boredom, so what’s the answer?

How can we solve the “I’ve got free time but don’t know what to do with it” dilemma?

What’s worked for me is keeping a handy list of the things I’d LOVE to do with my free time.

It’s a list I made years ago, and keep adding to it because I’m still me, just with kids.

So everything I liked before babies is exactly what I like now…

Make A List

Now some of my list contains things I can’t really do while I’ve got kids, such as volunteering for a year in a school in Africa for example. That’s for another decade now. 

But many of the things on my list I can do while the kids are asleep. Things such as gardening, allotment, reading, writing, baking, and phoning a friend. 

So if you’d like to start making the most of your alone time, I recommend making a list of anything and everything you’d love to be doing, money aside, kids aside.

Anything goes. 

Writing this list will give you a little boost and get you into positive action mode.

I use a Trello board for documenting this but by all means use paper and pen, or a Google doc.

What I do is whenever I have alone time, I do a little jump for joy and check my Trello board, just to get my head in the game.

I scan my list and see what takes my fancy.

And then before my mind can stop me, I go and do just that. 

A woman reading a book

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and GO!

I use the 5,4,3,2,1 technique (credit to Mel Robbins) if ever I start to procrastinate or scroll, or if I do something stupid like unloading the dishwasher.

I force myself not to do those things and instead do what I want to do.

And that’s it!

I know, I know, on paper it looks simple, the practicalities can be very different. But I like to keep things mega simple.

I also know you’re not a robot, so really, on the days where you just need to flake (because let’s face it, kiddies are exhausting) then go and flake. 

Free time as a mum is rare, I know, but equally, it’s best to take those alone moments when you can, and do something enjoyable for yourself.

Fill your cup, so to speak. 

And make sure you fill it with healthy and life enhancing things.

You’ll feel like yourself again, it’s magic, plus your kids will thank you because you’ll be a shit hot mum the next day. Yay!

Hope this helps you. I’d love to see some of your Trello boards if you do this!


If relaxation is something you’re in desperate need of (you’re a modern mum) take a peek at this Wellbeing Workbook.

…

Posted In: Parenting

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hello, My name is Sophie…

...I'm all about living well and enjoying the present moment. I live life slow, finding meaning in the small things, and chill in my veggie patch as often as I can while running after my two toddlers. I despise social media, love extra hot mochas and crave deep and meaningful conversations. I share lots on this blog for inspiration - wellbeing & health tips (I'm a wellbeing coach with a healthcare background) mindfulness, country life, holistic health, frugal living and family travel to name a few. Welcome! x

Popular Posts

20 Holistic Remedies to Reduce Anxiety Naturally (Zero Fluff – Stuff That Works)

activities for mindfulness

Science-Backed Activities for Mindfulness – Learn to Be Mindful

A New Mum Survival Kit To Help A Panicky Mind

13 Holistic Tips To Help Stressed Mums Feel Calmer & In Control

Categories

  • Living
  • Parenting
  • Travel
  • Wellbeing

On the Blog

  • Parenting
  • Wellbeing
  • Travel
  • Living

Be the best mama ever

Site Policy

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Notice
  • Disclaimer
How often do you forgive YOURSELF mama? For that How often do you forgive YOURSELF mama? 
For that thing you're giving yourself a hard time over?
- Raising your voice
- Giving them a sweetie to keep the peace
- Not giving them a cuddle cos' you just need SPACE
We are human too, don't forget. 
Forgive yourself, and get on with better things.
😍 These are the days I crave Of doing 'nothin 😍
These are the days I crave
Of doing 'nothing's'
Which become 'everything's'
I am not that abnormal I know
Seeking out beauty in the mundane
Maybe I do stare at you a little too long?
My darlings
Captivated by your zest and youth
For today, my darlings, there was
No to-do list
No errands to run
Nowhere to go or be
Just home, here, with you
These are those days, my darlings
I shall look back on so fondly
As a greying, withering old woman
Shed a tear or two, I shall
For these are the best days of my life
With you two, my loves, my children
These are the days of my youth too
An active mind, a healthy body
So make the best of them - and you
I shall
I dislike talking about politics on social media. I dislike talking about politics on social media. 
But I've been shocked to the core with the news over the past few months, and of course in the USA this weekend, over women's abortion rights. 
(Whether you agree or disagree with abortion is another topic altogether).
What's shocking and heartbreaking is the backward step YET AGAIN for women's rights. 
We keep seeing, again and again, a pushback to old times. 
Times women before us fought hard against, which we'd long moved on from (or so I thought).
Think too about the rape victims in Bucha and other areas of Ukraine and the world. 
Why is the world going backwards? That's what I want to know.
#supportwomensrights #womensrightsarehumanrights 
Women,
Of all the many things we need to deal with as wom Of all the many things we need to deal with as women – hair removal is up there.
I’ve got a love-hate relationship with the act of removing my body hair, I admit.
I wish I didn’t give a toss about what people thought of me. 
That I could go round, willy nilly, splashing my leg and arm hair with zero cares. 
What a dream!
But that’s not me.
Not that I’m obsessed with being hair-free – but it’s not what I want to be.
I love silky soft skin. There! I said it!
So I'm delighted to share in my latest blog post my thoughts on the zero-waste shave kit I got from @_weareffs 
Check it out - link in my bio. 
Sophie x
What better way to end the day than filling your c What better way to end the day than filling your cup with some inner love?
Hugs. You can do this. 
Sophie x
The varying experiences of women as mothers were t The varying experiences of women as mothers were the catalyst for creating Mamas Find Your Voice. 
How can it be that something so innate, so biological, can have such different outcomes?
It baffled me. And I'm not talking about genetics. 
I'm purely talking about women's experiences as a mother to their children. 
Some women thrive. 
In my case, motherhood has been the most radical, positive, transformative stage of my life so far - giving me fuel and passion I never knew existed before. 
For others, it's not like that. 
Why, though? Why do we each have such different experiences?
I do not have support - other than my husband. No family nearby to babysit or anything like that. 
I do not have many friends, but the ones I do have, I treasure hugely. 
I do not earn much money - my coaching business earned me a total of $4k in its first year. 
I do not have the answers either. 
I only have my experience and opinions, which I readily share, in case it helps. 
Food for thought I guess. 
What makes our experiences all so different? 
I'd love to know your opinion?
Sophie x
Photo credit @barbara_asboth_photography
***READ THE CAPTION*** I read this morning in a m ***READ THE CAPTION***
I read this morning in a magazine that "modern life - stress and anxiety are becoming the norm."
Let's make a distinction with that. 
YES, rates of stress and anxiety are through the roof 
BUT
That does not make it NORMAL. 
Please, let's NOT normalise that.
And if you're anywhere near the stage of burnout (I've had it - past tense), then please get support. 
You could also check out the 'wellbeing' section of my blog for helpful tips in the meantime. 
Don't bury your head in the sand and struggle with burnout. 
It won't go away on its own (and I say speaking from experience)
Sophie x x
I’ve been blogging for well over four years now I’ve been blogging for well over four years now (woot-woot!) And y’know what?
I ALWAYS felt uncomfortable talking about self-love.
*Cringe admitting this!*
Yet self-love is a topic that is super duper important to all of our individual well-being.
Ironic, huh?
Now, this could just be me, but I *thought* (notice – past tense) that self-love was actually another word for narcissism.
Seriously!
Glad to say I no longer think like this!
Read the full post titled 'Is it time to go heavy on the self love?' (don't just scroll!)
CLICK my BIO link to go straight there
Sophie x x x

Copyright © 2022 Mamas Find Your Voice · Theme by 17th Avenue