Self care for moms shouldn’t be optional. Learn how to make time for self nourishment (even as a busy mom) and discover 20 self care ideas.
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Why is Self Care for Moms so Important?
You know the saying: you can’t pour from an empty cup. No other sentiment rings truer when it comes to parenting.
But how often do you feel like you’re taking care of everyone else before yourself? Pretty often, right!?
Self care for moms is so important, yet it seems next to impossible to find the time for it. I’m going to drop a truth bomb: if you want to be the best mom you can be, you HAVE TO start finding time for self care.
I don’t know about you but I feel anxious, frustrated, even resentful, when I can’t take care of myself. And I don’t mean a five minute shower or a solo trip to the grocery store.
I’m talking about actually taking care of your physical and mental health. Self care for moms is more than just something you do for twenty minutes each day, it’s achieving a state of mind where you actually feel nourished.
It’s the habitual aspect of prioritizing yourself (as well as your children) so everyone can be happy and well cared for. It’s not me instead, but me too.
Moms, are you ready to fill your cup?
How to Make Time for Self Care as a Mom
I’m sure you you’re ready to start making self care a priority…if you could only find the time!
First, let’s reframe your idea of self care to be a necessity, not an luxury. Remove the guilt associated with taking time for yourself and prioritize your health.
Build time for yourself into pre-existing routines. Does your morning routine include time to get yourself ready?Are you preparing breakfast for yourself, along with your kids? Are you thinking about your needs and health when grocery shopping?
Where is there down time during your busy days? Can you utilize nap or quiet time? Is there thirty minutes you can take for yourself after your children are in bed? When you’re watching TV, use that time to exercise or stretch.
Remember that self care for moms can involve the kids! Consider doing some family yoga or taking a stroller walk. It’s healthy for children to see parents taking care of themselves.
Time block your day for maximum productivity. Time blocking is an easy way to divide your day by task or a group of tasks and finish them during one scheduled chunk of time. When prioritized correctly, time blocking helps you focus so you can finish quicker – which means more time for self care!
Self Care for Moms – 20 Ideas to Start Taking Care of You
Breathe
No one is too busy to breathe. The quickest way to practice self care when you’re stressed out is to simply stop what you’re doing and breathe. Take three deep breaths, in through your nose and out of your mouth to pause, reset, and focus again.
Yoga
Designed to detox the body and mind, yoga is the ultimate form of self care for moms, or anyone, who need to let go, get healthy, and calm down.
Meditation
Meditating doesn’t need to be scary, or time consuming! Simply sitting with your breath or a mantra for five minutes can help with focus. If you want to be more mindful and in the present moment, try taking up a simple meditation practice.
Re-orient Yourself
When life feels overwhelming and you start to get overstimulated by everything that’s asked of you, pause to re-orient. Re-orienting is a great form of self care for moms because you don’t have to anything except pause and take notice of your surroundings.
Find 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This grounding technique works to move our focus away from anxiety.
Take a Walk
A walk alone after hubby comes home from work is an easy way to decompress from a stressful day.
One of the best forms of self care for moms that can involve the kids, walking can also be a family affair. Nature is proven to ease anxiety and increase focus. Plus, getting out of the house always feels like an accomplishment.
Drink More Water
Don’t overlook the significance of something as mundane as drinking more water. Water doesn’t just give us life and energy, but the conscious decision to drink more water lays the groundwork for healthy habits.
Eat Healthy
Nourishing our bodies is the ultimate form of self care! Ditch the chicken nuggets your kids didn’t eat and start fueling your body with healthy foods.
Go to Bed at the Same Time Every Night
Research not only suggests that sleep routines are just as, if not more, critical than the amount of sleep we get, but that people who go to bed at the same time every night are healthier and more productive.
Take Up a Hobby
Something fun that you do simply because you love it. Whether it’s crafting, knitting, hiking, collecting, or learning about wine, hobbies help us destress, feel productive, and stimulate our creativity.
Color
Another perfect form of self care for moms that can be done while you’re entertaining the kids, coloring is relaxing and meditative.
Read Instead of Scroll
Repurpose the time you spend scrolling through social media to enrich your mind. Rather than falling into the comparison trap while staring at overly curated photo feeds, exercise your cognitive skills and read a book or article.
Related: How to Read More Even if You Don’t Have the Time
Spend Time With Your Girlfriends
Nothing is as good for the soul as a long talk with your best girlfriends. Laughing at inside jokes and venting about life helps us decompress and not feel so alone. Plus, my friends always have this uncanny ability to remind me that I was someone before I was a mom.
Buy Yourself Flowers
Everyone deserves flowers…even if you have to buy them for yourself! Plus, who doesn’t love looking at a beautiful arrangement of wild flowers.
Treat Yourself
There’s no price tag when it comes to self care for moms. Every once in a while, it’s ok to treat yourself to that spa day or a new bag you’ve been eyeing.
Keep a Journal
Getting your thoughts out onto a piece of paper can be cathartic and releasing. You can also try a gratitude or happiness journal to continually remind yourself of the abundance of good that surrounds you.
Share Your Favorite Part of Each Day
Research shows that we experience an increase in dopamine when we relive a happy moment. Each night, share your favorite part of the day, and ask your family members to do the same.
This not only will remind you of the good you experienced, but help build more positive memories.
Play Music
Music is proven to lower stress, help with happiness, improve intelligence, and lessen depression and anxiety. Plus, who doesn’t love a reason to have a mid afternoon dance party with the kids!
Declutter Something
I’m admittedly a rage cleaner, so when I’m feeling like I’m losing control, I gain it back by decluttering or organizing. Having less stuff is also proven to help with stress because clean, calm spaces allow us to feel calm and clean.
Go to Therapy
Therapy is the ultimate investment in yourself. For me personally, therapy has helped me understand my anxiety triggers, especially as a mom, and has given the the right coping skills and techniques to regain control of my life.
Learn to Say No
Another important aspect of self care for moms includes setting healthy boundaries. It’s okay to say no to phone calls, play dates, and unsolicited advice that you simply don’t have time and room for.
How do you practice self care? What other forms of self care for moms do you think are beneficial?
Do you wish you had more time for yourself? Will you start prioritizing self care? What forms of self care for moms do you make time for or want to make time for?
I personally love yoga and taking my kids for daily walks. I’d like to be better about drinking more water and going to sleep at the same time!
Pin These Self Care Tips for Moms to Pinterest:
I’m going to have to send this post to every mom in my life, including my own. Every tip is so so important to maintaining good physical and mental health and people just don’t realize how much small things like these matter. I’ve been trying to encourage my mom for years to take breaks and recoup, and now I’m trying to do the same for my cousin. Though, I know its been incredibly hard with everything going on lately. I think now, its needed more than ever.
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