If there’s one skill parenthood teaches you, it’s how to economize your time. Before long, you become adept at getting your children together for the school run, planning out mealtimes and dividing the daily duties with your partner.

Even when you’re tired, you become used to the urge of “go-go-go.” This is necessary, of course. When we have children, we accept that lounging on the sofa all day and ignoring our responsibilities is hardly a healthy life choice. 

That being said, it’s important to note that relaxing and unwinding is not unethical, nor is it irresponsible as a parent. In fact, it’s often important to enjoy this as a form of self-care that you diligently work on over time. “Relaxing guilt” can come into play whenever we sit down for five minutes or so, and it can become a real complex that prevents us from enjoying ourselves.

If you feel this, even when you have free time and your children are tucked up in bed, then you may wish to consider some of the following tips: 

Make It a Productive Task

If we hope to break bad habits, it’s good to change our perspective. For example, when it comes to relaxing and taking a break, you might focus on relearning how to do that by making this a productive pursuit. In other words, it’s your responsibility to learn how to take a load off and enjoy yourself. Perhaps you’ll set apart thirty minutes each evening to read a book, or to put a jigsaw puzzle together while listening to calm music. This is allotted time, so you won’t feel bad about sitting down nor the shifting unease of not putting the house together after a long day. Over time, this productive task will feel comfortable to engage in, and then you won’t have to negotiate with yourself so much.

Treat Yourself

Have you ever had the feeling of obligation that comes when you treat yourself? If you buy a nice jacket, you elect to wear it more often to get your value’s worth. The same can be said for relaxation. You might invest in a nice ergonomic armchair that you make an effort to sit in, learn how to get HBO Max in UK and watch shows because you’ve purchased a VPN and streaming subscription, or you might invest in some cookware and enjoy home baking because you have new equipment. Treating yourself is sometimes the best step forward to inspire change, and you deserve that treat also.

Plan a Modest Date Night

If you feel bad about relaxing alone, you can always do it with your partner or a great friend. A modest date night that brings you together, helps you celebrate with small indulgences like wine, cheese or other treats, and putting on a movie you love can be more than enough. When someone else is having fun, it’s hard not to join in and enjoy yourself, and it lets you get out of your head a little too.

With this advice, you’re sure to stop and healthily process those feelings of “relaxing guilt.”