how do you recharge

[momma22boys]

I don't want to make this long as my computer isn't working and I'm typing this on my phone.....I'm a sahm of a 2 1/2 year old and 5 month old. My husband travels quite a bit and we don't have many friends where we are at. How do you recharge your batteries? I'm so burnt out and feeling really stressed. I try to take time for myself, going to a knitting group saturdays or groceries with no kids but it doesn't seem to be cutting it. I'm breastfeeding and don't like to leave the little one long but feel guilty leaving with just baby all the time and not taking toddler. He already feels like I've replaced him...I can tell by his behavior. Anyway, what do you do? I can't remeber when it starts to get easier with baby...please refresh my memory!

[P.J.]

My recent favorite is going to the gym or, once the weather improves, going jogging and swimming in the nearby lake. It helps me to release and regulate some of those stress hormones and crazy emotions and I feel refreshed and relaxed after, not to mention I still need to lose about 10lbs of pregnancy weight! I also knit when I can, a row here and there even helps me relax.

Also about guilt: I have felt it too, but it's not helpful IMO. I see it thus: I am a better mama when I have had time for myself and can take care of myself. In fact I end up feeling guiltier if I haven't had a good break and I end up getting really frustrated and yelling at Max or something horrible like that. I can feel it immediately when I've had time off: I am so much more into Max and there for him and in a better mood and relaxed. To me, self-care is a very crucial, essential part of parenting and feeling guilty about needing it is just because of negative conditioning we get that we should be some sort of super-human supermom. Crap! We all need time for ourselves.

[McGucks]

Once or twice a week, I take a long, hot bath after our son goes to sleep.  I do not do laundry, dishes, bills, picking up, etc.  Just soak.  Of course, some times he wakes up and I have to hop out, but that's just the way it is.  OP has it rough with her DH being out of town a lot.  I go bananas if mine is running late getting home...I have a whole new respect for military moms.  Absolutely no idea how they can do it.