So, you survived Christmas and are limping to the finishing line as school holidays come to a close.
You are expected to be ‘refreshed’ as you return to work, yet even if you did manage to go on a holiday – you haven’t actually stopped.
Let’s face it – you can’t put the pause on being a mum just because you’re away.
Siblings don’t just stop fighting, constant snacks are still required, never-ending entertainment is paramount.
At home, the “mum taxi” is in overdrive and coordinating your kids’ social calendars feels like you’re the EA to Kim Kardashian when she’s juggling brand launches and photo shoots — except your ‘brands’ are soccer games, play dates and sleepovers.
All while fighting away the guilt of ‘too much’ sugar and ‘too much’ screen time and the inner voice saying ‘you are a bad mum, you should be hanging out more with your kids’.
God only knows how you’re managing to meet the deliverables in your paid job!
The physical and mental load for women is through the roof over this time and your ‘to do list’ is as long as the number of times your kids says ‘mum’ in one day.
My question to you is – where do you fit yourself into this never-ending list? Has your new year’s resolution of ‘self-care’ already slipped out of sight?
Last year, I facilitated a women’s wellness gathering at Pakenham library where I introduced the analogy of commas and full stops in mindfulness.
Thinking of our mind as a book, and the importance of incorporating pauses and breaks into our non-stop lives, just as punctuation is essential to make a story meaningful.
Commas represent mindful pauses—short moments to focus attention and restore calm.
It could be as simple as taking a couple of deep breaths, making a cup of tea, stretching between meetings, or taking a moment away from screens for reflection and rapid restoration.
Full stops represent more substantial, intentional pauses.
Whether it’s a meditation practice to start your day, a walk in nature, yoga, art, gardening, or writing in a journal.
Something that truly allows you to step out of “I have to do everything” mode, reset and breathe.
After encouraging the group to create their own wellness toolkits – their list of commas and full stops – I ended the session asking the women to choose a word that would guide them in 2026.
An anchor; a quiet encouragement that will help them be present and mindful.
Motivation, confidence, presence, courage, all popped up. Then one woman stood up and said “selfish”.
“I have always prioritised everyone else in my life,” she said. “It’s time for me to be selfish.”
Driving home I listened to ABC’s Yumi Stynes podcast, Ladies, We Need to Talk.
Turia Pitt was speaking about her new book Selfish.
Turia spoke of “selfless” being a word associated being ‘a good woman’.
Lack of self. Without self. Invisible.
And this is meant to be a positive attribute for women!
The conversation reinforced exactly what had been discussed in my women’s group.
In order to practice self-care, a woman needs to be selfish….. in a good way!
As you’re frantically ticking things off that list – buying new uniforms, preparing for school lunches, book orders, piano lessons and basketball signups – do yourself a favour.
Put yourself on that list.
Write down your commas and full stops. What will your word for 2026 be?
Note: Some pressures and stress can lead to overwhelm and burnout.
If you feel you need extra support, please see your GP about a mental health plan.
– Krissy Nicholson is the Manager of Gender Equality at WHISE.
