Getting to the end of the day can be tough. With constant needs bombarding your senses, the bickering that sets off every button, the never-ending mountain of laundry and dishes, not to mention trying to get ahead for the next day… It often seems insurmountable.

You’ve heard it before, ‘take care of yourself’, ‘self-care is important’… but often it can seem like having a cup of tea and lighting a scented candle are the enchanted dreams that will set you free from your weary burdens. Then they don’t, and you are back where you were before. Only worse, because now you don’t have hopeful options anymore.

I’ve been there.

I know very well the feeling of being depleted. Of feeling like you are just the robot sent in to service everyone else and you aren’t allowed to have any needs or feelings of your own. It sucks, quite frankly, and it sure doesn’t lead to anyone’s long term happiness. If anything, continuing along in that mode just brings you closer to burn out, which takes a lot longer to recover from.

So, what can I do? You ask, toe-tapping sassily.

I’m glad you asked.

Here are five things I do. Every single day. Yours might look different, but the key thing is just figuring them out. Maybe Yoga isn’t your jam. Maybe it’s dancing to your favourite song for five minutes a day – that’s awesome! Just make sure you make time to tap into your rhythms, invest in your happiness, take a deep breath (one that isn’t just to stop yourself unleashing a thousand swear words – yep, been there too). I promise it will be worth it.

1. Online Yoga

I have been doing 15-20 minutes a day now for about two and a half years (Yoga With Adriene). It is a game changer! Not only does it help with overall fitness (I could barely hold a plank position when I started) but it is so great for mental health and well-being. There are, of course, days when I don’t get around to it, but I feel like I’m not thriving when I don’t do it now. I literally do zero other exercise (I know, not ideal) but it has totally saved me from oblivion in these years where I just can’t even compute a reality where I could escape to do an actual class or even a run. And the kids barely even blink now when I get out the yoga mat – they know that they need to do their own version of ‘rest time‘ (or in Harvey’s case, nap) and sometimes Ivy pulls out her own mat to join me in ‘yoda’. It’s pretty damn cute.

2. Learn a Language

Apparently there are a lot of side-benefits to learning another language (including staving off Alzheimer’s and Dementia, increasing decision-making skills, as well as improving memory, perception and multi-tasking). I’ve chosen French, in the off chance that I get to visit the places in the paintings that hang on my walls, and I’m on a 190 day streak with my (free) Duolingo app now! It takes five minutes (usually just before I go to bed) and it is a task that stays done when I do it. And they can be tough to come by in motherhood.

3. Eat A Good Lunch

For far too long I contented myself with the crusts from the kids’ sandwiches, too lazy to make anything of substance for myself and then snacking on crap to compensate either side of lunch hour. I’ve learned now (and I really look forward) to make myself a hearty sandwich. It literally is the same ingredients every day, I make sure that we never run out of them – hot salami, ham, mayonnaise, pickles, red onion, jalapenos, cheese, tomato and lettuce. It is almost a meditative act now as I assemble the lunch, movements practiced through months of tradition. I enjoy every bite and have enough energy to attack the rest of the day. Winning.

4. Listen to Something Inspiring

I do it when I’m washing up. I load a good podcast (So You Want To Be A Writer being my current inspirational choice) and I barely notice the mundane reality at my fingertips. In my head I’m laughing along with the witty banter of the co-hosts and learning from the experience of established authors. It almost tricks my brain into thinking I’ve actually done something exciting sometimes! The timing couldn’t be more perfect as it gives me the urgency I need to get my butt into gear after the kids have gone to bed – ploughing ahead with my manuscript or drafting a blog piece.

5. Read a Good Book

You could say I’m just a little addicted to reading at the moment (check out my list here of kids’ titles that adults will also enjoy here). I always have a book loaded onto my phone via the BorrowBox app, or a physical copy from the library that I can carry around in my handbag. I’ve noticed how much more my kids are reading since I have been taking the time out during the day to do it too and that is pretty priceless in itself.

Well, it isn’t earth-shattering, I know, but often it is the little things that make the most difference in changing your mentality towards the everyday. What are your lifesavers at the moment? What charges you up, gives you energy and vitality to approach the day with? Let me know down below!