Motherhood is busy, rewarding and demanding. It’s basically all the things. Need some realistic self care ideas for moms? Keep reading. These are great suggestions even if you need some self care with small kids.
Mom Self Care Schedule
As a mom you’re busy making decisions for others , pulled in several directions and balancing work, school and family.
Putting everyone else’s health and well-being ahead of your own is not a sustainable lifestyle. You need to nurture yourself and tend your needs just as you do your family’s needs.
Just when are you supposed to have time for yourself? Well, the first step is to make self care a priority. This might mean that doing something for someone else gets moved to the bottom of the list, or at the least rearranged.
There are two ways to approach your mom self care schedule.
The first way is to schedule a time for self care when you’re least likely to get interrupted. For moms, this might mean before the kids wake up, during nap time or after bedtime.
The second option is to intentionally carve out time during your day, even though your kids are awake. You’ll need the assistance of another adult who can care for or watch them depending on how old your kid(s) are. You’ll also need help if you plan on leaving the house.
I know this is easier SAID than DONE. I am speaking from experience! I had to actually verbally tell my husband that I needed just a FEW minutes each day to do something for myself. He gives me that time when I TELL him.
Your partner can’t read your mind, as much as you may want them to. Self care requires you to be INTENTIONAL.
In order to balance your life, you will need to make purposeful choices, there’s no other way around it!
Mom Free Time Ideas
So you have identified some open time in your schedule for doing something that actually benefits, calms, and relaxes you. Great!
What do you want to do?
Here are several self care ideas for moms. Some of these won’t require you to do too much outside of your normal routine. These things can be done at home, in the morning before everyone wakes up or even after bedtime.
Others will require some specific scheduled YOU time, but that’s okay!
1. Exercise
This can be as high intensity or slow-paced as you want. Simply aim to get your body moving. Practice yoga, take a walk, dance around the living room. If you’re interested in ideas and motivation on how to get started with postpartum exercise, no matter how old your child is, I have some motivation for you in my postpartum exercise post.
2. Write in your journal
If you don’t have a journal, its a good time to get one and start writing down your thoughts. Journaling allows you to keep your thoughts organized, reduce stress and allows you to self-reflect.
3. Play a game or solve a crossword puzzle
Games can be a relaxing break from your reality and a brief shift in focus. Try to pick games that you can stop and pick up at any time.
4. Read a book
Reading is another way to escape from daily life and stressors if only for a brief time. Reading can calm the mind and relax your body. Did you know that reading for only 6 minutes can lower your heart rate and improve overall health?
5. Take a shower and get dressed
This is a simple thing to do that can help you feel better about yourself! As a mom it can be easy to get down on yourself about postpartum body changes.
It’s also very easy to get into a habit of dressing frumpily. Just by starting your day clean and fresh you’re likely to feel better than if you start the day in the same old pajamas from yesterday.
6. Use a face mask or do your skincare routine
Turning your beauty routine into self care is easy to do in just a short amount of time. Taking a break to recharge and renew yourself is so essential for your well being. You can take 10-15 minutes to apply a face mask and let it do it’s thing.
7. Eat breakfast
If you’re up before everyone else, take this time to have breakfast. Food is fuel for your body and it feels great to not have to share your meal. Just being honest!
8. Have Tea or Coffee
You could also take time to have a cup of coffee before your kids get up so it doesn’t get cold. If you’re not into caffeine or only drink it during certain times of the day, take this time to enjoy your drink of choice.
9. Meditate
Meditation as a form of self care for moms is a perfect exercise in mindfulness. As a mom, we are constantly planning and looking ahead to what’s next. We are always planning for the next day’s lunch or activity.
Meditation requires you to become present with the here and now. Just a few minutes of meditation can help moms let go of mental distractions, stress and anxiety. Those few minutes can also help you be a more present and attentive parent to your children!
10. Listen to music or a podcast
Listening to music as a form of self care is easy and fun to do. You can set the tone for the day or put yourself in whatever kind of mood you’d like to be in just by your music choice. The music can be as slow or fast as you would like.
Podcasts can be the same way. You can start your day off with a laugh or smile, teach yourself something new or get caught up in a good story.
11. Say positive affirmations
What we believe about ourselves can impact how we see our situation and the world. Speaking positively about ourselves as mothers is free and easy to do. You can say these positive affirmations to yourself in the mirror, in your head or write them down.
12. Catch up on a TV show
Got a show that you love but haven’t seen it in a while? Or you’d love to watch it but can exactly concentrate on it while the kids are around? Your self care time can just be you catching up on your favorite tv series.
13. Take time to savor the moment
We’re always rushing in our daily routine, whether that’s fitting in dinner between kids activities or running errands. When is the last time you actually stopped to fully enjoy one activity for yourself?
Savoring the moment means you truly take time to enjoy your self-care activity of choice. Linger in the shower, take extra time to finish that puzzle, etc. Really focus on what is you’re doing and be in THAT moment. Not thinking ahead to any other obligations.
14. Take time to make your OWN doctors appointment
I’m sure you’ve seen your child’s pediatrician office several times this year. If you’re putting off your own dental appointment or yearly checkup, then go ahead and schedule it!
Seriously! Take time to check on your own physical health and well being.
15. Go for a drive with no plans
Sometimes you dont know where you want to go exactly, you just know you want to get out of the house. I saw this suggestion in one my mommy groups and I loved it!
The mom said that sometimes she just drives, she may pick up a milkshake/coffee or snack, then drives somewhere to park and enjoy! She may end up in the Target parking lot enjoying her snack and watching Netflix.
Just get in your car and go! How often does that happen when you’re a mom? Hardly ever.
16. Visit your dream house
When is the last time you have been in a house thats decorated well, clean and beautifil? If its not your home at the moment, thats okay! We all know cleaning schedules can get *ahem* crazy with small kids around the house.
I like to daydream about my dream home. Sometimes I even visit model homes in communites where they are building new houses near me.
This gives me inspiration for my own home! Other times, it just motivates me to prepare for a new home. Either way, its a nice escape for the time.
17. Color in a coloring book
Your busy toddler might be coloring already, but have you had to time to actually sit down and color for yourself? Its relaxing! Don’t knock it until you try it.
18. Say NO
There is something you have on your schedule to do that you don’t want to do anyway, right? Someone is asking you to do something you truly don’t have time for? Pick one of these things to say no to and DON’T do it. Saying no instead of yes all the time can be truly relaxing.
20. Spend time in the backyard
If your home has a backyard or area for you to be outside, take advantage of that in the early morning or evening. We have a hammock and it is so relaxing to just lay there when the weather is nice.
Try your hand at gardening in the backyard, if you want!
21. Take a personal day off from work
This one is for my work outside of the home mamas. Pick a day, one random day. Use your time off from work and have the day to yourself.
Everyone else can stay on their daily schedule, i.e., kids can go to school or daycare, partner goes to work. That’s up to 8 hours to pick your own activities and do whatever you want! It’s okay, I promise.
How do you like these self care ideas for moms? Me time for moms does not have to be complicated or expensive. Sometimes a simple activity that you can do on your own to relax or renew your mind is all that’s needed.
Tell me if you plan on doing any of these things or if you have other self care techniques for busy parents that you’d like to share!
