10 simple ways for busy moms to practice self care and reduce stress. These self-care ideas are perfect for exhausted moms that have no time!
What is self care?
Self-care is something you do to enhance your mental, emotional, or physical health (or a combination of the three). It’s taking the time to take care of yourself.
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Why should busy moms practice self-care?
If there’s one thing that most women can agree on it’s that we are driven to do everything by ourselves. Asking for help is what weak people do, and we’re not weak, right? Heap more responsibility on my head! I can take it all!
We are pre-programmed to take care of everybody else before ourselves. We’re daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, professionals, and feel the pressure of all these roles every single day.
But we all know how we can be after a couple of nights (or months) of not getting adequate sleep, or how frustrated we get when we don’t get even 15 minutes a day to ourselves.
Taking time off to do something you enjoy as a means of taking the edge off and releasing the pent-up pressure of your daily responsibilities isn’t a luxury – it’s a must!
Studies show that when you don’t prioritize yourself and your needs for at least a few minutes each day, you become resentful of those taking up your time and space. Then you start taking it out on them by lashing out, being frustrated all the time as opposed to your usual calm and sweet self.
Taking a breather gives you the opportunity to relax and recharge so you come back with a better ability to carry out your commitments with more clarity and a sense of enjoyment. Learning to be “in the moment” is crucial to your own personal sense of happiness.
But news flash: if you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will. It’s that simple.
Write in a journal
Journaling is a great way to clear the mind. All those to-do lists and thoughts about the day rolling around in your head create stress. Take 10-15 minutes at the end of the day to unload your thoughts and feelings onto paper.
Remember back to the childhood days when you’d confide your secret crushes, drama of the school day, or even just random thoughts of the day to your treasured diary? Remember how good it felt to get these down on paper?
If you’ve never journaled before, just grab a notebook and start writing. You’re in charge!
Not sure what to write about? Try these:
- Summarize your day
- What are you grateful for today
- Short/long term goals
- Dreams for the future
Listen to music to relieve stress
Listen to music to relieve stress
Music is great for taking the mind away from the stress of the day. Turn up your favorite playlist, belt out your factories lyrics, or even loosen up with some dancing in your living room.
Whether you prefer songs that make you realize you aren’t alone in your struggles or upbeat songs that are sure to lighten the mood, your favorite songs will melt away the burden of the day.
Take a break from your phone
We are constantly checking our social media accounts. Comparing ourselves to everyone’s picture perfect (but not really perfect) lives on social media just creates this feeling of not being good enough. Put the phone down, disengage from social media, and focus some time on something that matters to you!
Let out your inner artist
There’s a reason that coloring books for adults have become so popular. It’s relaxing to fill in those patterns or images with color.
It takes your attention from the other things running through your head. Find a coloring book that you like, a set of colored pencils or markers, and get coloring!
Break out the yoga mat
What better way to relieve stress than to take some deep breaths and get in tune with your body. Not sure where to begin? There’s a plethora of videos for any skill level and time frame on YouTube.
Take a long, hot shower
Sometimes us busy moms can’t carve out much extra time in our day to unwind. But most of us can take a few extra minutes to just relax in the shower. Add in some aromatherapy for an added spa-like experience!
Read a book
Pick up a book by your favorite author and transport yourself to another place or time. Short on time? Try a short story or some poetry!
RELATED: 8 MUST-READ BOOKS FOR PERSONAL GROWTH
Practice self-care with a gratitude list
One of the easiest ways to turn around a bad day is to take time to appreciate what you have. Make a short list of what you were grateful for today. No matter how tough things get sometimes, when we stop to reflect on what we actually have in our lives, we realize we have plenty to be grateful about. It keeps us aware of even the little things in life such as a beautiful sunny day or fresh chocolate chip cookies.
RELATED: FREE GRATITUDE JOURNAL PRINTABLE
Give yourself a manicure/pedicure
What better way to treat yourself than by giving yourself a manicure or pedicure! A nice pop of color on your fingers or toes is sure to cheer you up.
Relax with a pet
Whether you have cats or dogs (or both!), spending time with your pets is a great way to de-stress. Cuddle up with your cat or dog and let the worries of the day slip away.
Busy moms must make time for self-care
In order to lower stress levels, women need to stop feeling guilty about leaving the dishes unwashed, leaving the kids to play on their own for a few minutes, or leaving their work at work. So the first step is to consciously make the decision to free up some minutes during the day for you – everything (and everyone) else can wait.
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