Turning carpool into 'The Me-Time Line'
Every afternoon you will find me in my happy place, the Carpool Line at my son’s school. I am usually one of the first to arrive. For a lot of parents this line causes a lot of anxiety. And I get it. We’re parents. We have a TON of things on our plate. Rushing to get our kids out of school is just one more thing on our to-do list. But what if you designated the carpool line for a little "me time" and made it an intentional time of day just for you?
While waiting in carpool, I have developed a few tips that help me recharge before the evening’s activities get underway.
Get in Line as Early as You Can
I understand this is not always an option. Even if it’s 5 to 10 minutes, a lot of relaxing can be done in very little time.
Get Rid of Distractions
Turn off your phone. Turn down the music. This is your time to restore yourself in the long, busy day. This step is very important. We are inundated with sounds and information all day long. A little silence can be so nice.
Burn Essential Oils
This was a game changer for me. There are many different styles of plug-in oil diffusers now for your car. Add 10-12 drops of lavender oil, and you’ll instantly calm down.
Meditate
This is a loaded word for a lot of people. They seem to think that you must sit in a lotus position and clear everything out of your head. It’s not true! The mind is always going to think. What you do in meditation is recognize the thought your having (that’s a financial thought, that’s a thought about the argument I had at work, etc) , acknowledge it, and come back to your breath. And it really doesn’t take a lot of time. In fact taking seven long, intentional breaths is a form of meditation.
Headspace is an excellent app to walk you through how to meditate. They also have a fabulous Netflix show that shows you some techniques.
Bottom line is, just enjoy sitting still and just breathing for a couple of minutes. It’s really that easy.
Bring Your Journal
One of my favorite things to do while I wait in line for my son is to journal. Writing in a journal has been proven to help relieve anxiety and stress. It’s been suggested to me by my therapist and my doctor. When I write, it usually only takes 3 to 5 minutes to get down a lot of what’s in my head. It’s so funny that once you get something down on paper, your head does seem a little less full!
There are so many types of journals available now. There are ones that give you prompts to help you get started. Or if you are like me, once I start writing everything falls onto the page in a stream of consciousness pretty quickly.
READ A BOOK!
I used to read all the time growing up. Now that I am firmly in adulthood, I have had trouble making the time to read. Depending how early you get into line, you can get a few pages in every day. Even when I have three minutes before I need to start paying attention, those three minutes still count!
I have a library book I am five chapters into now. It’s been YEARS since I’ve made any headway in a book. It feels so nice to get lost in a story.
If you are able, try any or all of these ideas next time you have to pick up your kiddo from school. You’ll likely find that you actually look forward to that 5 to 15 minutes you have sitting in your car. For all that we do in our day, we deserve to give ourselves 15 minutes.
When Sarah King isn't in carpool, she's on the radio hosting MIX Mornings with Kyle, Bryan, and Sarah.
