As a new mom, you may soon realize that all of your free time is now gone. All of your time is spent taking care of your child, doing your normal household work, and even managing a full-time or part-time job. While this schedule is ok for now, you will eventually need to make time just for you. This will allow you to recharge your batteries and generally be more able to handle the chores and responsibilities in your life. 

The question is, “how do I start carving out some time?” The planning process can be a little time consuming, but once it’s done you can enjoy a few hours every week to enjoy being by yourself or with some friends. First of all, sit down and figure out what is eating up all of your time. Write it down and figure out how many hours a day you’re awake and doing things and what those things are.

Once you’ve planned out your days, you can begin to find simple ways of changing your schedule to make some me-time. One thing you can do is talk to your partner about his own amounts of me-time. If you both work during the day, try to work out a schedule where you take turns taking care of your child in the evenings. If you’re a stay at home mom or you work from home, swap babysitting duties with some other families. With both of these methods, no money is changing hands, so you don’t have to pay extra for me-time.

Another way to save time is to manage chores more effectively. Plan out your weekly meals and try to make the same meals often so that grocery shopping takes less time. You can also find ways to clean the house in less time as well. Stay-at-home-moms has a 20 minute house cleaning routine sure to cut at least 30 minutes to an hour off of your normal schedule.

Another idea is to have your spouse go out with your child so you can have some time alone at home. Not having to drive somewhere can add even more time to your alone-time. Once you start planning, you’ll be amazed at how many free moments you actually have. It won’t be easy, and it’ll take some collaboration with other moms and your spouse, but not having some me-time is not up for negotiation and it’s a healthy part of managing your life and family without becoming burnt out.