10 Best Self-Care Tips for Busy Moms
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If you’re feeling like an overworked and undervalued mom, you’ve come to the right place. As the mother of a very active 7-year-old boy, I’ve often found myself feeling this way.
From working 40+ hours each week, cooking dinner, spending quality time with my fiancé, attending birthday parties and other extracurricular activities, I truly do it all.
Until recently, I’ve found myself depleted by the week’s end. I’ve decided once again to put myself first and have stopped trying to be a do-it-all, be-it-all super mom!
I hope that you too decide and commit to taking a step back and take care of yourself. You’ll immediately increase your health, happiness and peace of mind!
Why Is Self-Care Important for Moms?
Moms are more-often-than-not the most sought-after parent in the home.
And while we love to be needed, mom’s need a little TLC too. When I think about self-care, I often think about the instructions given before a flight.
Put your own oxygen mask on first. Only then will you be able to help those around you!
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or you work outside of the home, moms need to realize that self-care is essential to being the best mom and woman you can possibly be!
Treat Yourself to a Spa Day
I can think of nothing better than indulging in a day filled with a massage, facial and glass of wine.
Even if you can’t afford a professional spa day, you can create your own oasis in your own home for much less.
Home Spa Essentials:
Invest in a Planner
For the last couple of years, I’ve used a planner to help me stay on track.
I’m naturally a live-life-on-a-whim kind of girl but surprisingly, planning relaxes me.
Once I got sucked into the never-ending vortex of “plan with me” videos on YouTube, planning became a fun way for me to inject more me time into my life and to create structure.
I usually indulge in my planner at night once my son is asleep and it’s a great way to stay on top of things and relax.
I now plan my self-care rituals with cute and fun planner stickers and Washi tape.
Since my plans are now written, I’ve become more focused on achieving my long and short-term goals and more likely to stick to both my serious and fun plans.
Get Physical
Whether you’re taking a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood or spending a part of your morning stretching, studies have shown there are major benefits of becoming more active.
Check out free yoga and exercise videos at your local library and on YouTube to save money.
I also joy using Exercise Bands to help me stretch and decompress at the end of a long day.
Set of 5 Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands. Instruction Guide, Carry Bag, Ebook and Online Workout Videos Included.
Create Better Eating and Drinking Habits
Give yourself the gift of energy.
Eating and drinking better should be a second nature. but for many busy moms it’s an afterthought.
Here are a few things you can do now to immediately boost your energy.
- Cut back your sugar intake.
- More water. Less of everything else.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods.
- Make quick and easy smoothies to fuel your day and your body.
Create a Morning Routine
Creating routines is a great way to spend quiet time before your household wakes up or after they fall asleep.
I’m personally not a morning person but I love to indulge in a little quiet time after my little one is in bed.
I spend this time reading, writing, stretching or sometimes watching an episode or two of a favorite show on Netflix.
Whatever I do, I make sure it winds me down and takes my mind off of any corporate world work or house work.
Indulge in Hobbies You Love
I’ve always had a passion for reading and writing. However, after giving birth to my son over 7 years ago, I’ve made little effort to do either as much as I’d like to.
Creating my blog has been a way for me to do something that I enjoy and to share my experiences and thoughts with my readers.
Therefore, I’ve recently made a commitment to write every day for at least 30 minutes a day.
Do I always hit my target? No. Do I always try? Yes!
Whatever your passion is, find time for it. Even if it’s as little as 5 minutes per day or 5 minutes per week.
Figure out a schedule where you can get back to you as much as you can.
You’re totally worth it.
Use Your Personal and Vacation Days Wisely
If you work outside the home, designate your personal/vacation days off with intention.
Back in the day, when my son was first born, I was a bit fearful to take vacation time because I wanted to hoard my vacation days in case either of us got sick.
These days I make sure I use at least 1 personal day to just spend a day at home enjoying a bit of me time.
It may sound crazy, but I hate to use these days for errands. When I have a day off, I like to have a day all the way OFF!
Whether I take a nap, catch up on a good book or blog in the middle of the day, I make sure I relish the time doing things that make me happy while my little one is at school.
Make Time for Friends
Spending time with your friends is one of the best ways to take care of yourself. I have the most fun when I’m swapping stories or having a glass of wine with my girls.
Start Meditating
Just breathe!
If you’ve never tried meditation, now’s the time to give it a try.
Reducing stress and a developing a clear mind are just a couple benefits of meditation.
The best part about meditating is that it only takes a few minutes out of your day to prayerfully focus on anything you want to manifest. It’s also free and can be done anywhere.
Start a Self-Care Journal
It only takes a few minutes a day to jot down your thoughts and feelings.
To me, the most fulfilling part of using a journal is reflecting on different times in my life and how I was able to overcome certain circumstances.
There are so many cute journals and awesome pens to use to capture your thoughts and daily activities. If you decide to use a planner, you can also double parts of your planner as a mini journal!