Self Care For The Busy Mama

Self Care? hah! More like: Wash dishes. Fold the Laundry. Taxi the kids around. Solve sibling rivalry. Pick up toys. Rush to work. Rush home. Change hats. Wipe noses. Start dinner. Bath the kids. Find clean jammies. Wrestle them onto the kids. Get teeth brushed. Hair brushed. Kids into bed. Bedtime story. Snuggles. One more kiss. One more hug. No you can’t have water. No you can’t have a snack. Your knee will feel better when you fall asleep. Goodnight… I said GOODNIGHT!

*** deeeeeeeep exhale ***

Alright! Now it’s time for some self care!

But who has the time or energy for that?!

Right now we’re in a busy stage of life. It’s exhausting mentally, physically, emotionally, you name it! It’s nearly impossible to find time to shower every day, let alone self care!

But the truth of the matter is that burnout is real. And it sucks. And once you’re there you’re forced to slow things down a bit so you can recharge and begin again.

What is self care?

I’m so glad you asked. It’s basically an intentional effort to preserve the wellbeing of your own physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental health.

Key word? INTENTIONAL. Because in this busy stage of mommyhood, self care does not come naturally.

SPOILER ALERT! Self care is not just making an appointment for a spa day, or getting a massage. Sure, it can include those things. But it doesn’t have to be as pretty and pampering as that every time.

Back in our teens and twenties, self care was easier. Actually, much of life was about ourself. We did whatever we wanted to do, ate when and what we wanted, picked the entry-level job we wanted, wore the clothes we wanted…

But now that we’re using all of our energy and headspace to care for other humans that need a LOT right now, self is typically the last thing on our minds.

It’s not that we don’t want it. We drift off to dreamland sometimes, reminiscing about what it was like to throw on our sneakers and go for a run when the gumption hit us. Or to eat cereal for dinner, just because. Or to binge our favorite show on a Saturday because the workweek is long and we need to veg out.

It’s just not that easy…

Something crazy happens when you have a baby. Your heart grows about a thousand times. Suddenly, every decision you make is rooted in the wellbeing of that tiny human.

You become so focused on making sure that little one is cared for. Nothing else matches the importance level of ensuring that kiddo is perfectly cared for at all times.

But let me put you a ease, mama. You don’t have to stop focusing on your babies in order to practice self care. You don’t have to rearrange your life, or let all things kid-related fly out the window.

Work it in.

Just as I coach people to do with exercise, I’m going to tell you that easing into self care is as easy as gently working it in to your daily life.

Find little pockets of time, to sit and exhale. Let the laundry go sometimes, so you can just relax and play with your kids. Use nap time to order pizza with whatever toppings YOU want, and sit on the couch eating pizza and watching your favorite show.

There are tons of ways to practice self care. You just have to be intentional about it.

Self Care That’s Outside The Box

Working in self care means finding ways that work for you. Because everyone has a different life structure. What works for someone else, might not work for you.

For example I have a very hard time taking the plunge and going for a spa day. In fact I’ve never even done it!

But on the flip side, waking up 30 minutes before the rest of my family, and enjoying my coffee in the quiet while I read and journal… that has been life-changing for me.

I don’t love getting my hair done. But I absolutely love putting my work aside sometimes, and going for nature walks with my littles.

I have to find what works for me. And that means I have to think intentionally about what I can do that will help preserve my emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental health.

Let Go Of Guilt

What helped me with this is when I realized what a better mom I am when I practice little spurts of self care.

I’m more patient. I’m happier. I smile more. I’m more connected. I’m less frustrated. I enjoy my day more. And the biggest benefit: my kids notice!

When you realize that you’re not just doing it for you, but for your family as well, you can start to understand that not only is it not selfish, but it’s actually a very selfless thing to do!

Caring for yourself is important. And it is beneficial to all involved!

Ideas For Self Care

Remember, you have to do what works for YOU! Brainstorm ways that might work, and then try them!

To get you started, here’s a free page from an e-book I wrote entitled The Ultimate Exercise Guide For Moms With Littles. It’s just one page out of a 45-page ebook that is packed with everything you need to ease exercise into your life and keep it there.

I think this list of ideas will be helpful to you! So please enjoy it by clicking the Download button below!