Being a mom doesn’t mean you should give up on your self-care. Here’s a few easy tips to enjoy self-care on the go.
By Sade Jenkins | Sade Jenkins is a Self-Care Management Specialist providing moms with wellness products and services to help mothers reconnect with their happiness after having kids www.sadejenkins.com.
This post contains affiliate links. To learn more about affiliate links and how they work, please read our Affiliate Disclaimer HERE.
Have you ever wished you had a magic wand that granted all your self-care needs?
I’ve learned that if we break timely moments into small parts, it becomes more satisfying. As a mom, I completely understand the need for more time, but the struggles of everyday life tend to take over. That is why I created this simple 3 step process to get you started with enjoying more self-care while being a busy mom on the go.
The Planning Process
Planning can be a mom’s best friend! Imagine seeing a schedule where your relaxation time has been included to it. It sounds amazing doesn’t it? To start this process, I want you to take some time to think about your actual day-to-day schedule. Think about every detail because the details will help you find pockets of gold. Pockets of gold are small increments of time that can be used to your advantage. Yes, those 2 to 5 minutes matter! Make sure to add in eating times, naps, work time, carpool time and anything else that is common.
Now look through the entire schedule to find any gaps that aren’t being used. I want you to think about when you need your break time most, throughout the day. Use that information to determine where to add yourself into your new schedule. This is very important in the process of making this successful and something that you can be consistent with.
Organize Your Favorites
The great thing about self-care and relaxation is that there are so many ways to enjoy it. The categories are mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and practical. Allow me to explain each of the categories to you.
- Emotional self-care includes activities that help you reflect and connect with yourself emotionally. Example: Listening to relaxing music in the car.
- Physical self-care includes activities that help you with reaching your physical wellness. Example: Going for a walk outdoors.
- Spiritual self-care includes activities that help you dig deeper within. Example: Closing your eyes in the parking lot to do a quick meditation.
- Mental self-care includes activities that help you reflect and shift mental state of mind. Example: Enjoying an outdoor show or going to a new restaurant.
- Social self-care includes activities that help you deepen your relationships with others. Example: Doing a group mommy and me date with friends.
- Practical self-care includes tasks that help you prevent potential stress. Example: Getting someone to clean your house for the week.
Now I want you to create a list for each category. This list will provide you with quick things to choose from throughout the year. I love this method because it makes this process fun, simple and doable for busy moms.
The Mom Toolbox
The greatest thing about having a toolbox is that it is quick! So what is a mom toolbox?
A mom toolbox is a box that is filled full of self-care ideas, resources, tools and quick fixes for not-so-great days. This will make a difference for you, your child, and your household. How do you build a mom toolbox?
First, I want you take your list of categories and place it in a folder on your computer. If you did the list on paper, then place all your information and ideas on colorful index cards to be placed inside of a cute shoe box. Every mom has a cute shoe box in the house. Next, I want you to create a list of things you and your kids love to do. I want you to put all those things in this box.
Fun Fact: If you do this with your kids it makes things go by so much quicker. Kids love to be involved in picking fun things to do. Now, I want you to create a list of things that you can do as a family that can be fun, quick, and relaxing.
We can’t have a mom toolbox without having quick resources to use on those tired days. Here are a few that my family and I love to use.
Kid Resources
- Gonoodle – This is a fun way for kids to get all that extra energy out while releasing any stress or overwhelm out of the body by dancing.
- Cosmic Kids – This is a great way for kids to relax by doing yoga and using their imagination.
- Zumbuni – This is a cute kid version of Zumba.
Mom Resources
- Calm app – This app is great for lowering stress through taking a moment and looking at beautiful places.
- Mindset Shift app – This is a great app to help you with managing your stress or anxiety.
- Breathe2Relax app – This app is awesome for helping you with lowering your stress levels through providing breathing exercises.
To finish off your mom toolbox you need tools in place for days those things potentially go wrong. To help with this, write down methods you can use for immediate self-care. Example: When I am stressed, I usually need more of _____ so I usually do _____. When I am angry, I usually need more of _______ so I usually do ________. This will help you to make sure you always have those things on hand for those potential days.
Place everything inside of the shoebox or a folder that is on the main page. You want your mom toolbox to be visible and easy to access so that it is placed in the front of your mind and not forgotten.
The Takeaway
Being a mother can be busy, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. I hope that these tips give you hope about doing self-care while being a busy mother. I firmly believe that moms can have it all, but it is all about figuring out how it can fit into your lifestyle. Hopefully, through these tips, you were able to find joy, excitement, and motivation to bring more self-care into your home.
To keep growing and glowing mamas’ tryout this self-care guide to make planning your me time easier. Mom Care Guide
