Mom Self-Care Tips

Remember a year ago when we thought COVID-19 would be gone after a few weeks? We powered through, but then it didn’t end. On the fly, we had to figure out how to take care of everyone else while getting in some mom self-care time too.

Self-care is one of the words of the year. I thought self-care was basically hygiene and health. Was I showering? Clean clothes, exercise, eating well? If so, I was good. When the pandemic changed all priorities, schedules and routines, “good enough” and “survival” became my normal…. and it wasn’t healthy.

Especially over the past few months, I’ve really felt the importance of self-care. To me, self-care now means taking care of myself so I can be my best for others (yes! like in the post-partum phase). It means ensuring I have time for things that make me happy and being OK with prioritizing myself too, even for a few minutes a day.

Of course, mom self-care is so much easier said than done. Start by inserting one self-care idea into your day, every day, until it becomes a habit. Then try for a second, etc.

If you’re a busy mom looking for ways to take care of yourself, below are a few suggestions for how you can start.

• Exercise. Every day for at least 30 minutes. Get your heart rate up!
• Get outside. Now that I work from home, I can go days without leaving the house. Even if I walk to get the mail, breathing fresh air and feeling the sunshine is so invigorating.
• Sleep at least 7 hours every night.
• Ask for help, if you need it.
• Connect with your loved ones. FaceTime, text message, email, snail mail; whatever works!
• Reading, audiobooks, podcasts. I’ve “read” some amazing audiobooks over the past few months, while doing regular daily tasks. I’ve also recently discovered a few podcasts that are so motivating and uplifting, they can give me a new perspective on the day.
• Virtual church. I’ve discovered a new-to-me church through their weekly Facebook livestreams every Sunday. I’m able to still learn, grow and connect with that week’s message virtually, usually while cleaning the house.
• Weigh yourself, every day. I’ve done a few different food tracking programs over the years and most of them suggest you weigh yourself regularly, if not daily. I’m trying to avoid the “COVID-15” weight gain, so this has been really helpful to me.
• Enjoy showering. Have you tried aromatherapy shower tablets before? I didn’t until a few months ago. They’re like bath bombs for the shower. They smell lovely and can last through 2 showers! Otherwise, play some music, listen to an audiobook, whatever makes you smile.
• “Eat the Damn Salad.” In an episode of The Rachel Hollis Podcast, Rachel was talking about self-care and was basically like, “If you want to be healthy, you know what to eat. Just eat the damn salad. Every day. Do it.” She said other stuff too, and I’m totally paraphrasing, but “Eat the damn salad” is stuck in my head now, and I’m grateful for it.
• Set your daily intentions and priorities. I bought the “I am Enough” priority planner (also Rachel Hollis) and find it invaluable. It helps me organize my day, my health goals, motivation and even what I’m grateful for. Find something where you reflect and plan daily to stay in charge of YOUR life goals.
• Laugh. There’s nothing I love more than hearing my kids laugh. Genuine laughter is so good for the soul, and if I get to be “fun mom” for a minute, I’ll take it!

Individually, these are each fairly easy, right? But throw in work, chores, etc. and they are easily overlooked. I’ve been working on this for almost a year and still, my new year’s resolution is to get 7+ hours of sleep at night.

If you’re a busy mom looking for ways to prioritize your self-care, hopefully, this gives you a few ideas. Find what is important to you and what makes you happy because you deserve it, every day.

Are you already doing some of these things or other self-care that speaks to your heart? If so, give yourself a big “WOOHOO!” If you have any more mom self-care tips, please comment below and share!