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Are you a busy mom with an infinite to-do list? You are probably thinking that there isn’t enough time in the day to pour into yourself. To meet your own needs. As a mother to four extremely active kids, I feel you. There are days where self care is just going grocery shopping alone and it feels like a vacation. Most days, it feels like there simply isn’t enough time to complete everything that I set out to do and that alone can feel draining. When you’re a busy mom, you need things to be as easy as possible. My friend, that is why I have come up with 10 EASY self care ideas for busy moms like you.
The Importance of Self Care for Mothers
Whether you have a newborn or a teenager, it is important as a mother to make time for yourself. As the saying goes, you can’t fill from an empty cup. Trust me, I’ve tried. If there is some secret formula, please comment and let me know.
So far in my journey as a mother, I have learned that carving at least 20 minutes either in the morning or at night for something that is just for me, is deeply restorative and puts me in a better mood. When I am in a better mood, I am able to be more present and patient with my children. This in turn will pour into them and they will be in a better mood also. That is the secret for a smoother day.
Most of these ideas are both quick and easy. They can be done in the morning before the kids wake up or at night when they are asleep. I have been on both sides, having little ones that have been early risers at times and fussy babies who have been through sleep regressions and wouldn’t settle down early enough. Whatever works best for you, as long as you are carving that time into your day, you will thank yourself for it.
10 Self Care Ideas for Busy Moms
1.Drink something warm and sit in silence.
There are two types of people in this world, people who wake up and drink coffee and those who wake up and drink tea. I wish with all of my heart that tea would be strong enough for me to survive the day, but sadly it just isn’t. Most self care tips will tell you to reduce your caffeine intake. I am going to be realistic here as a mom. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing like a nice cup of afternoon tea and herbal tea at night. But as far as my morning routine goes, coffee is where it’s at.
But don’t stop with your warm drink, also take the time to drink it in silence. Let’s be honest. Kids are LOUD. They are ENERGETIC. It is okay to take a few moments while it is silent in the house to relish in it. My introverted soul requires this silence every day. It makes me a better mama when they wake up and turn into tornadoes.
2. Look at your phone without guilt.
Didn’t see that one coming, did you? We spend all day trying to model good screen time habits for our children. If you are like me, you might feel guilty for pulling out your phone and looking at a little bit of Pinterest with your kids in the same room. That is why I have decided to make the time in the day where I can do this without guilt.
Just like my kids have their dedicated screen time, I also set aside time, usually in the morning or night, to browse social media. It frees me from feeling any guilt, and it still allows me to model healthy screen habits for my kids.
3. Read a chapter in your book.
Maybe you are more of a reader than you are a social media nerd. Or maybe you are like me and love a healthy dose of both in your day. I wish I could be like my husband and devour an entire book in one day, but my attention span is short. I set a goal to read at least one chapter in a day. Once that chapter is read, if I have the time and attention, I’ll read more. If not, I can sit my book down, satisfied.
Whether you fancy a good fictional story to transcend this time and place and take you somewhere mystical or you are learning something new with a non fiction title, reading is a great past time that gives back. Knowledge is self care in my eyes.
4. Eat something set aside just for you.
Can you relate to me at all with having to always share your food with a toddler? My daughter is 3 and even still she demands that I share my food with her. Even if she has her own plate. Something about my food is just so much better in her eyes.
This is why I will set aside something just for me to eat when they go to sleep. Depending on how I’m feeling it might be a few of the cookies we baked earlier in the day or just a piece of fruit. The magic is in it being just for me. No one is sitting around eyeing it and asking for a bite. It is wonderful.
5. Meditate
Don’t let me lose you on this one! Meditation is simply being in the present moment. It is emptying your mind. This goes along with my first tip of sitting in silence with a warm drink. Just having a quiet moment to be present in your day without thoughts of judgement is meditation and it is powerful.
You don’t need to be a guru with a meditation room filled with incense and essential oils to meditate. Just simply sit on your couch and close your eyes. Take a few breaths in and out. Focus on your breathing and how it makes your body feel. If you are drinking that warm drink, how does it feel in your hands? Just be present. Thoughts of the day will come, but you can simply acknowledge them and set them aside for later.
If you have never tried meditation before, then I would strongly recommend that you try it at least once. It is a deeply healing and restorative way to calm the mind and reduce stress. There are scholarly studies on meditation and its power to reduce anxiety and tension.
6. Write in a Journal
I actually didn’t know that I enjoyed writing until I started writing in my journal. I wasn’t the teenage girl who spent time writing in her diary every night about my life. It wasn’t until I had 3 kids that I decided to start a journal and I realized the benefits. Being able to pour my heart and soul out onto paper is more restorative than I initially thought. I can tell my journal anything I want without judgement.
Beyond just writing about your thoughts, there is also a gratitude journal. There is real power in gratitude. I could write a whole post on the Law of Attraction and how a grateful heart opens your world for more abundance, but I will settle for telling you that keeping gratitude in your heart is as restorative a medicine as you can get. Writing down what you are grateful for can give you a great perspective on life.
I believe in the power of gratitude so much, that I even created my own journal so that I had prompts to write down all the reasons I felt grateful that day. It is currently on Amazon if you want to check it out with this link.
If you have a printer and want a quick and FREE way to journal without having to go buy a journal at the store, just sign up for my newsletter below and you’ll receive a FREE copy of my 120 page journal template. It is rather beautiful and inspiring for your thoughts. This journal can also be bought on Amazon with this link if you’d rather have it printed out for you.
7. Make sure to laugh.
This is something that can obviously be done throughout the day. I often think back to my day when I’m alone at night and will think about how many times I shared a laugh with my family.
Laughing releases feel good hormones that promote bonding. Time spent bonding with my kids is self care. Getting those feel good hormones is self care. There is that one saying that laughter is the best medicine.
Being serious all of the time can’t be good for anyone. Tell a joke to your kids to see the smile crack up on their face. Sharing a nice laugh with them will make both of your days.
8. Learn something new.
It may sound counter intuitive to add more to your never ending list of chores, but this is one of my top favorites to do while completing my tasks for the day. This can take the form of a podcast, YouTube video, or audio book. Whenever I am on a cleaning rampage, I love to listen to something that I am interested in learning about.
I am not one to just sit around and listen. I need to be active and moving about to be able to retain all that I’ve learned. This is how I learn best, and I absolutely love to learn. It gives me a sense of accomplishment on top of what I feel from the task that I am completing.
Being a homeschooling family has opened my eyes to the concept of lifelong learning. I have learned so much in my time teaching my children. It makes me motivated to learn on my own. Bonus points for modeling good habits for my children.
9. Don’t forget to play!
I don’t necessarily mean with your kids, though that is definitely a wonderful form of self care. Play is usually associated with children, but if you look at its actual definition, you’ll find that it extends to us adults as well. It is literally “to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.”
When was the last time you did something just for enjoyment with no serious motive? I will admit, it is easy to put off playing throughout the day for more serious tasks that result in the completion of my chore list. Every encounter, every opportunity, I am usually thinking about what I need to get done. But this is unhealthy and prevents me from being fully present with my kids and husband.
Do Something You Enjoy
A better balance is to complete a few tasks and then spend time “playing.” This can be with kids, an instrument, drawing, reading, cooking, knitting, bike riding, anything goes as long as it’s solely for enjoyment rather than to complete something.
Humans are playful creatures and we should never get too busy or too old to simply play.
10. Express your emotions (healthily, of course)
How many times do you feel like screaming in a day? Being a mother is not for the faint of heart. It is a rough title to hold at times. There will inevitably be days where no one is listening, nothing is getting done, and you feel alone. These feelings are completely natural, but you don’t have to bottle them up.
This is where something like the journal I mentioned earlier can come in to help. But maybe you need something more than writing. I’m not above a good scream in a pillow, but I just feel awkward about it. I don’t want to take my frustration out on my family either.
How I Express My Emotions in a Healthy Way
Whenever I am needing to express emotions I also like to go for a run. Turning on my favorite music and running to the beat of the rhythm is soothing to me.The rush of endorphins that I get when I run boosts my mood tremendously. If you aren’t someone who enjoys running, this might not be for you.
I haven’t always enjoyed running. I started running for exercise after my first child was born as a means to lose weight and get healthier. As a result, it powerfully transformed my life and it became something I looked forward to doing. It still keeps me strong and healthy, and is my number one choice for stress release and working through frustration.
In Conclusion
If you are in a busy phase of life as a mother and believe you don’t have time for taking care of yourself, I hope that you find these easy ideas and can incorporate them in some part of your day. There is a certain mindset about being rushed and busy that makes us think we are being successful. I think success can also be measured in our quality of life.
Self care routines and activities add quality to your life. They will keep you going in the trenches of parenting. I invite you to start thinking of you, mama. What have you done for yourself today? Don’t forget that you are important and that you also deserve to be cared for.
Which of these are you going to try today? I’d love to hear if any of my ideas sparked an interest in you. What are some ways that you practice self care? Leave me a comment and let me know!
Awesome article for Moms, wish I had that advice when I was young Mom…
I am so happy you enjoyed it 🙂 thank you!!!
[…] to take care of yourself. Running is my self care. I include running among other tips in my 10 Easy Self Care Tips for Busy Moms. If you are looking for a fun way to add healthy movement to your day, read on to find my running […]