Mornington Peninsula Guide to Self Care
As a mum, there is so much that we juggle - our careers, our families, our households - some of us also add in further studies and volunteering, if not what also feels like a million other things.
How often are you the last to go to bed at night and the first to wake? Trying to put on a load of washing on and unpacking the dishwasher before the kids get up, then juggling school uniforms and lunch boxes while trying to grab a cup of coffee before rushing out the door to get the kids to school on time?
We know this is the normal life for so many women - and that's perfectly fine. We all want to succeed in what we're doing - but what happens when something slips and the control you thought you had on life is no longer there.
Looking after our health and well-being is something we all need to focus on - self care isn't being selfish - it's a vital part of maintaining our mental health.
The Mornington Peninsula offers some great opportunities to practice self-care, and these are a few of our suggestions.
Taking time out at the start or end of the day for a walk along the beach. Pick a Spotify playlist and head down to the beach at the end of the street; or if you have more time, head out for a drive and wander along one of the many beautiful beaches that the Peninsula has to offer.
Beaches we love include Moondah Beach, Point Nepean, Somers, Safety Beach, Sorrento, Rye and Point Leo.
Light some candles and pour a glass of wine. Pair these with a good book, a hot bath or your favourite DVD or movie on Netflix and it's the perfect way to spend an evening.
Local candle shops we love include: Red Hill Candles and Candle Empire
Local wines we love include the Pinot Noir from Barmah Park
Schedule an appointment at the hair salon - who doesn't feel better with shiny new locks?
A local hairdresser we love is The Salon of Hastings
Send yourself a delivery of flowers. Who doesn't love having flowers delivered? We love having flowers throughout the house, but why wait for someone to buy them for you? Why not purchase some yourself and have them delivered to home ready for you to enjoy over the weekend? It's the perfect way to brighten up the day.
Local flower delivery businesses we love include The Flower Press and Co, and Local Love Co
Head to a cafe and enjoy some time out with a good coffee. Do you have a favourite cafe that you love to go to, or have you a list of cafes that you've been meaning to try? We love to catch up for coffee - sometimes the only time we can catch up is bright and early on a Sunday morning, other times it's straight after school pick up at one of our places while the girls are busy playing. Sometimes it's a quiet coffee on our own - a moment of escape before tackling the never ending to do list. Regardless of how you find time for that cup of coffee (or tea), it's an important part of looking after ourselves.
Mornington Peninsula cafes we love include Ad Hoc (Mt Eliza), Laneway Espresso (Dromana), Barmah Park (Moordooduc)
Grab your friends, a coffee and wander the stalls at the local markets. The Mornington Peninsula is host many markets throughout the year and provide the perfect opportunity to pick up some handmade goodies and is a great way to support our local businesses.
Don't miss the Main Street Mornington, Mornington Racecourse or Red Hill Craft Markets or the Creaters Markets.
Head out and meet new people. We know it can be very easy to say we want to meet new people, but actually making it out the door and getting to an event knowing we won't know anyone when we get there is a scary thought. Thankfully there are two new options available to make meeting new friends that little bit easier.
For the women in business - the Mornington Peninsula Kickass Collective run by Shay has quarterly wine nights combined with the monthly breakfast club. These are a great way to meet like-minded women and support each other on our business journeys (a little tip from us - don't feel like you need to be running big businesses to join MPKC - the network is full of a range of women who are running blogs and small businesses)
For monthly events that involve a guest speaker - generally with a topic that centres around self-care) - Emma runs MP Wine Club. These nights out are the perfect opportunity to get to know more women within the local area and enjoy the hospitality of some great Mornington Peninsula venues.
These are just some of the ways we can implement self-care into our daily, weekly and monthly routines.
We'd love to hear about your self-care routines.