Disclosure: This post was sponsored by General Mills through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Fiber One’s® Brownies & Bars, all opinions are my own.
Friends, today I want to give you a peek into a very special part of my day. I would even go so far as to call it sacred. Every afternoon, right around 1pm, I claim 20 minutes as my own, and I use that time to treat myself, to be quiet, and to recharge. I want to show you exactly how I manage to make that happen every single day, even though I have a rambunctious 3-year-old (who no longer naps!) home with me in the afternoons.
When my youngest gave up her afternoon nap, I was borderline horrified. I had come to count on that 45 minute stretch of time every afternoon to get some work done. What I realized after losing that chunk of time, was that the time it gave me to work wasn’t even the most important thing: it was the time it gave me to recharge that I so desperately needed.
So I took a note from marketing professionals, and rather than do away with the now-unpopular naptime, I re-branded it. Yes, indeed, I conducted an intense marketing campaign with my children to turn the time into something new: quiet time!
Just as my children had to compromise and agree to spend a portion of time quietly playing in their rooms by themselves, I also had to compromise. I reduced the amount of time down to 20 minutes, which is what I discovered through trial and error that I really needed in order to get through the rest of the day without being grumpy.
Now every afternoon (yes, even on weekends if we aren’t out and about!), I set this precious timer. My children are well trained to know when it has gone off and not to come out of their rooms until they hear that ding.
I have even learned to put all of my afternoon coffee break items in a basket. This helps me make the most out of my 20 minutes and not spend the time searching the house for the book I want to read, or searching the pantry for the right snack. It also is a powerful visual demonstration of the importance of this quiet time for mommy. I have dedicated intentional space in our (small) home to the items that help me recharge. By doing so, I am giving this ritual importance and a bit of reverence.
In my basket, I keep coffee beans and a coffee grinder. Only my afternoon coffee gets this royal treatment, as I’m just too tired in the morning to grind coffee (and I also don’t want to wake anyone!). But freshly ground coffee is THE BEST! I also keep a clean mug and a reusable straw, as well as the book I’m currently reading (right now it’s SherylSandburg’s Lean In). My timer is in the basket, and last but not least, my special snacks. These are off limits to little hands and are exclusively reserved for mama’s afternoon quiet time.
My favorite snack to keep in my basket is from Fiber One®. I have previously told you all about their amazing cheesecake bars, which I HIGHLY recommend, but I also want to show you their strawberry streusel bar.
This, my friends, is where it’s at. Such an incredible, delicious treat, just waiting for me every afternoon. A Fiber One® streusel bar is a little pick me up that feel completely indulgent but that is also quite sensible. It’s the perfect choice for me during my special quiet time.
In the midst of the work I am called to do for my business, for my family and for my home, it is SO critical that I take a slice of time during the day just for me. I firmly believe that I am a better version after myself when I practice self-care.
I hope you have a daily ritual of some sort that brings happiness back into focus for you. If not, give my 1pm coffee break ritual a try and see what you think!
Speak Your Mind