If you’ve been working so much and feel like you are on the brink of burnout, don’t you worry mama, I’ve listed some of the best self-care ideas for moms to help you get back on your feet.
Maybe you have those colleagues or friends who read three books a week, do yoga before work, and can’t seem to stop talking about how great meditation is for your mental health.
Tone it down guys! We are moms, and as much as we would love to invest in self-care activities to keep relaxed, refreshed, and recharged, we just don’t have the time most times.
However, we still need those things. So this post contains all you need to know to get started with practical and effective self care ideas just for moms.
From what self-care is really all about, why self-care is significant to you as a mom, to self-care ideas and more…
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Let’s get right to it.
What is Self-Care All About?
Although there is no single definition of self-care, self-care is a series of actions you perform to improve your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Practicing self-care working to reduce the rate of you being stressed and being in a good health condition.
Note that this does not mean that you are prioritizing yourself over anything or anyone else, it simply means you are creating an opportunity for yourself to relax and recover in order to perform at the best of your ability when needed.
Why Is Self-Care Important for mothers?
The importance of self-care for moms cannot be overemphasized. As a mom working from home and attending to the welfare of your kids and husband, there is also the need to care for yourself too.
Here are some benefits of practicing self-care.
1. Positive Mindset:
Self-care allows you to establish a positive mindset that will translate to good feelings and emotions towards other people, situations, and life in general.
2. Promote Self-awareness:
Practicing self-care promotes a healthy relationship with yourself which in turn boosts your self-confidence to take on any activity.
3. Good Health:
“Health is wealth.” I’m sure you are familiar with that saying. When you take time to practice self-care like proper exercise, eating a good diet, and more, you increase your chances of enjoying good health and being able to achieve your goals and enjoy life.
These are few among many others…
How Do You Take Care Of Yourself As A Mother?
How do mothers find time for themselves? Why is it important for parents to have personal time? What are examples of self-care? If in your mind you are already asking yourself any or all the questions above, then worry no more because below are some creative self-care ideas that actually work.
Refreshing Self-Care Ideas For Busy Moms
1. Turn Off Your Cell Phone Sometimes
Your smartphone can be so important that you hold it so frequently due to your nature of working from home. But mom, you would do yourself a greater good if you turn it off for a while as you focus on an energy reserving activity like sleeping or meditation. This can help you get refreshed.
2. Take Time To Dream About You
Thinking helps us health wise. And taking time to think about yourself will boost your self-confidence and you get to trust in your own abilities to perform productively at work and other activities.
This is necessary for you as a parent which is the hardest job in the world.
So, set some time aside and settle into the idea that you are an amazing mother.
3. Stop Multitasking
Mothers feel the need to multitask as we have a lot to take care of at our work-from-home, kids’ welfare, and the house chores.
But doing more than one task at a time is energy consuming because you have to divide your attention and energy and in the end you don’t do all really well.
You need to avoid or reduce the rate at which you multitask especially at work. You may multitask, but not all the time. Care for yourself.
4. Do Some Yoga
Yoga is a wonderful way to get in your “me time” while also reaping benefits for your body and mind. Aside from the fact that some moms love their shape in yoga pants, doing yoga itself helps you health-wise.
5. Spend Time With Your Children
I know this sounds counterintuitive but no matter how long you work, creating time to be with your family is another way to refresh yourself and improve your mental strength.
When we spend time with our loved ones, we are reminded of the love we have and share together because we are reminded, they’ll always be there for us. Therefore, it increases your level of happiness, knowing you have a loving family.
6. Take Some Time For Meditation
Meditation will do great to your health in general. It can have an impact on many areas of your life including helping to better manage your emotions, let go of mental distractions, decrease stress, and be more present and attentive with your kids.
Also, your kids are indirectly learning the meditation skill early in their lives and that will have a major impact later in lives, imbibing the habit of meditation as they grow up.
7. Read Books
Reading also helps to reduce stress and brain fog. Try as much to frequently learn something new, you can create time to read books and other materials to improve yourself.
8. Have A Date Night With Your Spouse
As you care for yourself, hanging out with your partner on a date-night is another way you will find relaxation and rest. You could have a game night or comedy club with your husband on a date night. Check out a list of date-night ideas here.
9. Give Yourself Permission To Slow Down!
You must not break down before you know you need to rest from work, you need to slow down and rest. As a busy mom, it would be of great help to deliberately help yourself regain strength by reducing some work and letting yourself get some rest. You can always pick up from where you stopped after you’ve rest.
10. Get A Massage
Getting a massage is good for your body. Its benefits are quite overwhelming, and no one should have to tell that to a tired mom. Regular massage will reduce stress and anxiety and will help you enjoy a good sleep.
Below are 9 health benefits of massage.
- Manage Anxiety And Depression
- Ease Pain
- Boost Immunity
- Beat PMS like bloating and mood swings, tender breasts, food cravings, fatigue, irritability and depression
- Improve Sleep
- Raise Alertness
- It Curb Headaches
- Massage increases blood flow
- Ease Cancer Treatment
11. Go For A Run Or A Walk
Exercise is a good measure to taking care of your body and it helps to prevent you from diseases. Self-care requires us to exercise our bodies to keep them fit especially against diseases. If you frequently exercise, you keep fit.
12. Have Your Yearly Check Up
Knowing you have a good health status can boost your self-confidence while you go about your busy schedules. Go to your preferred clinic or hospital to have yourself checked. It helps you a lot because you have a rest of mind knowing you are in good health.
13. Try Laughing
It’s good to frequently laugh as you exercise your facial muscles and cells. When we laugh, we increase healthy cells in our bodies. See more reasons why laughter is the best medicine.
14. Plan And Go On A Vacation
Vacation is known for break from work because you get to exempt yourself from family and your usual environment to relax and to refresh yourself. Plus the excitement that comes with planning one, you are sure to increase your level of happiness.
15. Listen To Your Favorite Music
Music can positively alter brain chemistry, and boost chemicals in our brain that support things like immunity. This has been proven by a research done by a professional Neuropsychologist, Daniel Levitin.
Listening to your favorite music will get you in a happy mode.
17. Drink Enough Water
The benefit of drinking water can never be overemphasized. Water helps your skin, protect your muscles, reduce fatigue, total about 60-70% of your body weight and many other benefits.
You should learn to take enough water everyday, and if you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mom, taking water has a vast impact on your baby not just you.
18. Sleep Early
It is good for your health to sleep early. Moms are known for not getting enough sleep, which is bad. Try your best to sleep on time and have enough of it.
19. Create More Time (Send the kids away)
Send your kids sometimes to grandma or your relative to spend some hours, day or weekend. This will give you some extra personal time to spend with yourself.
20. Listen To Self-Improving Podcast
Learn something new or be entertained to improve yourself. Podcasts are a great way to stay upbeat. Check out these 7 mom focused podcasts for moms to edify yourself.
21. Get A Beauty Treat
We moms love to care for all in the family before ourselves. But don’t forget that you need to look good too.
Remember, looking good makes you feel good. Here are some ideas:
- Book a facial treat
- Go for a massage
- Have your hair done
Surprise everyone around you with a new look, drink up that new fond adoration, and go to bed feeling good about it.
22. Take a nap
As a mom who works from home, between your working hours find a few minutes for a nap when you have nothing or take a break from work. It helps you refresh.
23. See A Counselor
Talk to a therapist or counselor if you’re struggling. It’s okay to ask for help – it doesn’t make you a weak or bad mom!
24. Learn To Say No Sometimes
Learn to say “no” to responsibilities that you don’t have time for.
This is a biggie!
There is no need to be the PTA treasurer, Girl Scout cookie mom, and your son’s baseball coach all at once!
25. Let Your Partner Help
Ask your significant other to help out. You shouldn’t have to do everything alone!
26. Avoid Physical Illnesses
Use hand sanitizer, getting the flu shot, maintain proper hygiene at home or anywhere, exercise and drink more Vitamin C. Do anything possible to keep fit at all times.
27. Go for a drive or walk with no destination in mind
Sometimes, we get to discover many things we have been missing when we try new things. Go for a drive and take a view of the city, have fun alone as you drive.
Apps that pay you to walk:
28. Care For You First
If you get sick, focus on yourself. Even if you just have a bad cold, find a friend, partner, or babysitter to help out with your children while you rest up.
29. Ignore Somethings
Your children can make their own decisions sometimes, and they are not indicative of you being a bad parent. Overlook somethings to save yourself some energy. Moreover, your children have free will, so cut yourself some slack when they mess up.
30. Daydream About Your Dream Goals
Everyone has some goals they want to achieve; daydreaming helps you gain an optimistic mind as well as invent the “how?” to go about it, attracting you closer to achieving your goals.
31. Attend A Concert
Are you a lover of music? Then find an upcoming concert, buy a ticket for yourself or you and your spouse, and enjoy yourselves there.
32. Do A Puzzle
Find a puzzle game online and entertain yourself with it.
33. Motivate Yourself
Here’s an unusual way to motivate yourself. Write a list of things you’ve accomplished and look at it when you’re feeling discouraged.
34. Spend Time With An Elderly Family Member
Spending time with others especially the elderly exposes us to many things, wisdom inclusive. This helps you to appreciate people and yourself. See this as a self-care for new mothers.
35. Practice Random Acts Of Kindness
Find someone you don’t know in the street and give them a gift.
36. Forgive Someone
When you hold someone in mind without forgiving them, you are equally holding yourself. But when you learn to forgive people of their wrongs against you, you set yourself free from bitterness and unwanted stress.
37. Go On A Date With Someone You Love
This is obviously one of the recommended self-care ideas for single moms. Why not try moving on with someone you love since you are now a single mom. Something good can come out of it.
38. Look At Pictures Of Yourself When You Were A Child And Reminisce
This is self-explanatory, it helps you to see how far you’ve come and appreciate the gift of life you have.
39. Do some deep breathing
Taking a deep breath helps you to calm down and focus.
Self-Care Ideas For Pregnant Moms
As a mom, how do I take care of myself during pregnancy? You know apart from going to the doctor or dentist, moving your body in some way by moving around the house exercising it, drinking enough water, and eating a balanced diet which are very important, there are some creative self-care ideas for pregnant moms you can observe to keep you healthy and enjoy some fun time as a pregnant mom. Below are sure self-care tips on how to practice self-care during pregnancy.
40. Gentle Exercises
As a pregnant mom, it is not advisable to refrain totally from exercise. Gentle exercises help you with the ability to cope better with the added weight imbalance and discomforts, and will also help your body prepare for labor and delivery.
41. Drink more water
Hydration during pregnancy cannot be overstated. Hydration decreases constipation, reduces swelling, it softens the skin, increases energy level among others. Pregnant women are more prone to dehydration. So it’s essential to drink plenty of fluids as a pregnant mom.
42. Positive Affirmations
As you prepare for all the ups and downs and changes taking place as you await your baby’s big arrival, you need to have the right mindset throughout your pregnancy. You can pick a phrase to motivate yourself to overcome your challenges. You can do a quick sear online for affirmations.
43. Recline Your Beauty Kit
Many personal care products contain chemicals, phthalates, parabens, and other ingredients that can be harmful to your health (that’s a bad idea). Pregnancy is the ideal time to assess your beauty kit and replace what you can with vegan, nontoxic brands. If you are thinking of a nontoxic beauty brand for pregnant mothers, Biossance is a good one. Check out.
44. Spend Sometime Outdoors
Have you heard of an ancient practice of forest bathing called shirin-yoku? While there are no actual baths involved, forest bathing is actually the art of becoming one with nature in pursuit of deep, meditative relaxation. Spending time in nature’s embrace can lower cortisol levels and help calm your mind during pregnancy and beyond.
45. Eat Proper Diet
Fill your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal. Since you are eating for two, making sure you have some nutrient-dense snacks; string cheese, almond and grapes in your bag when going out will help. Food is medicine, and the good diet will deliver key nutrients, improve your mood and help your baby grow healthy.
46. Meditate
Need a way to relax yourself? Meditation is a way to relax, find your balance and refresh after a long day. A lot of pregnant women have found relief by meditating at the beginning and end of the day to focus on the things that really matter. You too should try it out.
This is a simple, yet powerful pregnancy self-care tip to mitigate stress and help you manage emotions during those heavy hormone fluctuation moments.
Conclusion
Taking care of yourself is as important as taking care of your kids and family members. As you take time to care for others, do not forget that you mean so much to yourself too. Remember, it’s not being selfish or prioritizing yourself above others. Get you a good treat, make sure you are keeping fit mentally, physically, emotionally and otherwise.
I believe you have gotten enough self-care ideas for moms you can subscribe to.
Thanks for reading. Remember to share this blog post with your friends, colleagues and family.
