Do you have any daily rituals or routines to preserve your sanity?

[sweetdandelion]

apart from mumsnetting or

I think I am constantly tense on edge. Normally i'd say I'm a happy and grounded person, but I find that working 4 days a week, staying on top of the dc's school life and activities, household chores and various health niggles, elderly parents and in laws some of whom cause stress.... I feel my breathing is shallow, racing heart, and I am regularly waking up at 5 and can't go back to sleep, not because of massive worries, just a low level sense of buzzing tension and an endless to do list.

I suppose I have lost my mojo trying to keep on top of it all. And I am getting impatient with my family and people in general.

Please would you share some of your 'good' habits that you do to protect your sanity and deal with life's ordinary stresses?

[AngryPrincess]

Meditate
Excersize
Get some time to yourself

[ElspethFlashman]

Stopped drinking during the week and only one night at the weekend

DH and I have been doing this for a few months. We feel miles better for it. We also find we're snacking much less. And actually drinking much less on our one night, also. Our tolerance has gone way down. No harm!

[Zoflorabore]

Great thread op :)

Here's mine-

Wake up before anyone else and just enjoy the peace with a cup of tea and a cig and go on MN for half an hour.

Meditation- this has been amazing. I've only been doing it for a few months but I go on YouTube and flit between mindfulness/meditation and hypnosis for my anxiety.

I don't watch any T.V at all in a family that all love it. I prefer to read as I feel so relaxed and calm.

I have a treat every day. At the moment I'm loving pop tarts

I make time to have a shower, do my hair, put perfume on and a bit of lipstick and blush and groom my eyebrows, makes me feel human.

I get my nails done ( shellac ) and eyebrows waxed and tinted every few weeks. I am not
very high maintanance but these are a must.

Lists- i use them for everything.

I have a good evening and morning routine for the dc ( 7 and 15 ) and have all uniforms
ironed and ready.

Lastly, I've not had a drink for a few months as I can't deal with the hangovers as I have fibromyalgia and they last for days. I feel much better for it.

Sorry for such an essay, I've only learned to look after myself properly this year as have been looking after my dgm until earlier this year who has dementia but she is now in a care home, I was looking after everyone but
myself and it nearly broke me.

Lastly, de-clutter ruthlessly!

[itsboiledeggsagain]

Something that has made a massive difference to my sleep and stress levels is leaving my phone downstairs to charge. It means I read before bed and I don't wake up and think of my to do list. Try it a night or two?

[MysweetAudrina]

I set my alarm for 6am every morning and get up, shower and drive to work, where I park my car and walk 5 minutes to a yoga studio and practice yoga in a class from 7-8.

It means that dh has to get the kids up and out every morning but I am selfish about this as I prepare their lunches and uniforms, shop, cook, look after the washing etc and it means that it only takes me 20 minutes to get to work whereas if I left an hour later it would take me an hour.

[Mixedupmummy]

following. some fab ideas here. I've been trying for a while now but it's hard to make anything stick for long. hoping that the main issue is that I'm ebf dc3 and that when I stop it'll be easier to get a bit of me time.
20 mins in the morning to drink a cup of tea and get ready before dh leaves seems to be a good habit that's sticking.
& trying to have hot baths a couple of times a week. great for releasing tension.

[BogstandardBelle]

Massive declutter and lots of empty spaces as a result.

Stopped drinking during the week and only one night at the weekend.

Go to bed at 10pm every single night that I can.

Stopped using phone before bed and leave it charging in another room. Ditto to TV - haven’t watched it after 8pm for weeks now. We read a lot instead.

[neamchimpsky]

I try to be totally present in whatever I'm doing. So if I'm working, I'm not trying to internet shop/worry about kids,/make appts, and if I'm with the children I put phone away and try to purposely listen (usually to whittering but they appreciate it), if it's my down time I try not to waste it so will go for a walk, read a book or whatever without trying to multitask. I do use "dead" time waiting at activities to do things, but I find it less stressful to focus on one thing at a time. That and saying no a lot, having lower cleaning standards (!) and viewing myself as worthy of taking care of as much as my children...

[catography]

A touch different to you as I don't have any DVD but DP and I work high stress jobs and I've only just learnt how to make time for 'me' to save my sanity.

Make lists! A home list, a DC list, a work list, a you list. And when you're at home/work etc make sure you're only thinking/focusing about what's on the specific list.

Leave your phone in another room after 6pm

I do five minutes of stretching before I get out of bed, really basic but feels lovely

We get really lovely coffee for our mornings and I make sure I have at least 30 seconds to really appreciate that first sip

Running with a banging playlist!

[MiddlingMum]

I go for a run.

[ForalltheSaints]

Going to bed at a consistent time to try to get a good night's sleep.

Five to ten minutes quietly with a cup of tea before I leave the house in the morning for work.

[IStandWithPosie]

I also don’t watch the news unless there is something I specifically want to hear about. Too much to stress me out.

[SlatternIsTrying]

Watching with interest OP as I could have written your post.

I try to ‘reset’ the house at the weekend to start fresh on a Monday. Failed miserable this weekend and I don’t see how it’s going to get better due to commitments before Christmas.

[ElspethFlashman]

Definitely MNing sporadically here and there.

Having a skincare routine and trying new things. It's not what it does, so much as the accidental facial massaging, I suspect. No matter what you use, it's 5/10 mins of basically gently rubbing your face. It's soothing. And then I'm all clean and fragrant and pink and nice. Sometimes I come home from work with a headache and I'm not "right" till I've washed my face. Headache lessens as I wash the day down the sink.

I also read a LOT. Currently reading the latest Shardlake, Tombland, and finding it very satisfying escapism.

[SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc]

Half an hour with MN and a cuppa is a must after I've woken up

[agedknees]

Oh, and swimming is good if you have arthritis.

[agedknees]

Dog walking. Phone is switched off and it’s just me and the dog (rural canal path dog walking).

Lovely hot bath.

Be gentle with yourself. Who cares if the house isn’t perfect.

[Cleanermaidcook]

I work 4 days too and my day off is often cleaning/ironing and shopping but I Tey to have a complete me day about once a month when I take myself out to the cinema and for a coffee.
I also love listening to music and have a hot bath in peace every night after the kids have gone to bed.

[IStandWithPosie]

You could look for a yoga or Pilates class for your non working weekday. I used to have a Wednesday morning off and used it to attend a yoga class. I loved having that one hour a week that was literally just about me and being for no purpose other than that I enjoyed it, not about achieving anything or getting better at anything. I didn’t care how crap I was at yoga, I just felt great after it.

[sweetdandelion]

festivellama I know the feeling!

LucilleBluth I sued to daydream and have an imaginary life when I was younger but now I would feel guilty, maybe I should give it a go for a rejuvenating bit escapism.

[Conseulabananahammock]

2 year old even not 2 youngest 😑💤💤

[Conseulabananahammock]

Blatantly bookmarking, as a very stressed mum of 3/full time carer for 2 youngest/maid/cleaner/dogsbody/verysleepyperson

[festivellama]

I'm the first one to leave the house in the morning. Breathe a sigh of relief every day

[sweetdandelion]

Thank you.

white On my day off when the kids are in school I usually tidy, do the grocery shopping or mumsnet for hours. I feel low on energy and don't exercise . I don't read as internetting and having dc has reduced my attention span.

I don't think I'm super at my work either as I feel torn in all directions and find it hard to do everything and everyone in my life justice.

Kintan I used to love a lovely bath but strangely since trying a water birth with ds 2 and failing miserably I have a bit of an aversion to baths but do love a nice shower.

Boys what sort of mindfulness techniques do you do? I would give that a go.

Loopytiles I think I could reduce my intake and probably should.

How can I get into exercising with mild arthritis and a busy week?

One possibility is to reduce my working week further but 3 days feels unproductive in a busy office and I'm not sure my boss would go for it anyway.

[LucilleBluth]

Yes to baths, books and good coffee. But weirdly I always have a fantasy life on the go that keeps me sane,...bear with me, at the moment I am having a wild affair with Domhnall Gleeson (this changes) and I'm a successful playwright. I can always retreat into this.

I am a fully functional wife and mother of three, honestly.