5 Self Care Ideas for Busy Moms

My friends, I hate to admit that I’ve been having some mommy tantrums this summer. I am just so DONE with the constant demands of being a work at home mom and wife and daughter and sister and friend and neighbor.

I am tired.

I am sleep deprived.

I am overwhelmed.

Don’t get me wrong, I love and adore my children and husband, friends, and family. However, lately I’ve been losing sight of my own needs. I’ve been losing sight of what makes me happy and fulfilled—I know there are many that think I should be satisfied with my life as it is and that I should just enjoy my kids while they are young. But, you know what?

If mama isn’t happy, no one is happy!

Am I right, moms?

Well, when I realized that I haven’t been enjoying life fully lately, I started paying extra attention to some of the things that make me feel good and help break up my sometimes monotonous schedule.

Here are a few things that have been working for me:

Exercise—I’ve been trying to get up and take my dog for a walk in the morning before my husband goes to work and my kids get up. That means, before anywhere from 5am to 7am and it’s just me, the dog, and the silence of morning.

No kids. Just me.

It’s been a great way to start the day and I end up feeling motivated and refreshed when I return home. I definitely notice the positive impact that exercise has on my mood. By extension, that leaks over into my interactions with my kids throughout the day.

Reading—I love to read, but I don’t often have time to do so. Or, rather, I don’t make the time as often as I should. Either way, our Mom2MomEd book club has been great for me! I mean, I HAVE to read for the book club, right? I can’t exactly run a book club and not participate—that would just be silly!

Reading is my down time and helps me to refocus my brain. It gives me a few minutes to sit down and do something for myself.

I like it.

Coffee—Of course, coffee! Actually, coffee is less about what’s in my mug and more about where I’m drinking it and the mood around my cup of coffee. My backyard is particularly peaceful in the mornings, so I’ve been trying to get outside and drink my first (of many) cups of coffee on the back deck.

The air is cool.

The birds are chirping.

The chickens are out hunting for bugs.

It’s peaceful and a great way to start my day!

Showering—Ok, I know, I know. I do shower every day. I just don’t always do it in the morning, my preferred time to hop in the shower. Some days, I am out the door and just throw on a hat and whatever clothes are closest and clean without even feeling like I’m fully awake.

Taking a morning shower helps me to start my day feeling alert and ready for anything. Plus, I just plain appreciate those few minutes to myself!

Making lists—I make a lot of lists, but I don’t follow most of them. For me, lists are more about the act of writing things down, not necessarily crossing things off. I tend to remember things once I put them on paper so the acting of writing my list is like mentally priming the pumps for my day.

I always have at least one list out on the kitchen table with the activities that we have going on that day or coming up soon. Lists help me to feel in control in a world that so frequently feels completely out of control.

I realize that this list of self-care ideas isn’t profound. That wasn’t the point.

The point is that I need to take care of myself—I need to put in time daily to tend to my own needs so I can be refreshed, alert, and PRESENT for my family.

These activities help me focus, break up my days, and at least give me some sense of control.

If you find yourself having your own mommy tantrums and meltdowns, give yourself a mommy time out. During your mommy time out, grab a journal and make a list of your own self-care ideas. Include those things that you love but set aside so you can tend to others.

As busy moms, it is so important that we take time for ourselves and re-group mentally so that we can put our best foot forward.

The days are long when you feel like you are constantly struggling. I can be guilty at times of complaining instead of helping myself, and I don’t always have the energy to do anything other than simply getting by and surviving. If that’s you to, then you are not alone!

We are in this together.

Now, go pour yourself a cup of coffee (or tea, but truly, coffee is magical—Malea agrees with me!), and find ways to carve out some ways to steal a few minutes for yourself.

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