Self Care Sunday

However I am a strong advocate for self-care.

Because if I’m not well or firing on all cylinders, then I can’t care for my boys, my husband, support my clients or represent the farming industry with my ambassadorial work.

So here are just a few of my top tips to help with positive mental health, which provide me with the ability to spin those plates.

• Making a conscious effort to consider self care in your daily / weekly routine. We can be too wrapped up in the fact that we are ‘busy’ but factoring in some time each day to stop, pause or reflect is a positive step.

• Go for a walk. You may have seen the campaign #WalkWithMe which was instigated by a good friend of mine Chris Manley. Well, like Chris, I make time to go for a walk in the middle of the day. This helps me to get away from my screen, helps me to appreciate the world around me and I often bump into a neighbour to have a quick chit chat. I also find that ideas come into my head when I walk as I’ve allowed my brain to do something else. It’s when I can be most creative and inspired.

• Meal plan. I’ve got into a habit of thinking ahead to what I’m going to cook. That way I can remember to get things out of the freezer or throw things into the slow cooker in the morning so I’m not under pressure when the kids come back from school and are ravenous. You can find a few of my recipes on my food blog No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents.

• Drop the bar. Sometimes it is OK to have beans on toast or turkey dinosaurs for tea. We are not superhuman and sometimes meals like these really save the day.

• Make a list. At the end of each day I work out what is going to happen the next day and make sure I’m prepared for it. This could be working out what work task I will complete first when I get into my office which makes me more focused or productive. Or thinking that when I’ve done the school run I should pop to the post office or run a few errands. 

• Share your calendar. My husband and I have synced our outlook calendar so we know who is doing what and when. We also have a white board calendar on the fridge which I fill in on a Sunday night which helps to remind us what the children are doing, where I’m going to be. I’ve also got the weekly meal plan on their too.

• Exercise. After having the children, I have had a lot of complicated health issues. So attending a weekly pilates class has helped me to build up my core strength, but I also get an hour of ‘me time’. 

• Make time for your family. Our children are growing up fast and I’ve made sure that my husband is a big part of their lives, rather than living to farm. Of course during busy periods such as lambing and harvest this might be difficult. But having a family holiday or an afternoon in the garden for a kick around and ice-cream will be what the kids remember. 

People often say to me ‘Milly I don’t know how you do it’. 

And whilst I’m not saying that every day is a breeze, especially as I live in chronic pain. Having a few boundaries in place, the ability to say ‘no’ when other people might be adding to the pressure, and make self-care part of your routine, are all positive steps to help manage what life throws at you.

You can read the full article from the Farmers Weekly here: https://www.fwi.co.uk/farm-life/top-tips-from-three-multitasking-farming-mums