Being a busy mom can be very overwhelming. There are endless tasks and responsibilities that are competing for your attention all the time. Whether you’re managing a household, working, or balancing both, finding time for yourself can seem as if it’s an impossible task.
However, self-care is something that is essential for your well-being, so you have to make it a priority. When you start taking care of yourself, you’re going to be better able to take care of your family at all times. While it may seem difficult to squeeze self-care into an already packed day, you have to find somewhere to fit it in.
There are many practical ways to make it a part of your routine without adding stress. Here’s a look at what you need to do.
Take Short Breaks
You don’t need hours of snooze time to practice self-care. This is a mistake that many busy moms make. The fact is that short, mindful breaks throughout the day can make a big difference in how you feel for those 24 hours.
Try taking power naps — quick 10 to 15-minute naps that can help you recharge when you’re running low on speed and fighting to get some energy. Even if you’re closing your eyes and resting for a few minutes, it can help to dramatically reduce your fatigue.
Mindful Breathing
Deep breathing exercises can calm your mind and lower stress. Take two or three minutes to focus on your breath and then inhale deeply through your nose and hold it for a few seconds.
You can then go ahead and exhale slowly. Repeat the process a few times when you are feeling very overwhelmed.
Stretching
Simple stretches can relieve tension in your body, especially if you’ve been standing or sitting for a very long time. Try some quick stretch breaks as it improves circulation and helps to make you feel a lot more relaxed.
Plan Micro Self-Care
If you are always on the move, then traditional self-care routines are not going to fit in with your schedule at all. Instead, what you need to do is focus on self-care moments that are very easy to incorporate into your daily life without causing too much disturbance.
Incorporate a simple skincare and exercise routine into everyday life if you can. You can even treat yourself to a mommy makeover to help improve your look. Even if it’s just washing your face and applying moisturizer before you go to bed, when you do these small acts of self-care, it can help you to feel very refreshed.
Make sure you have a morning ritual when it comes to your self-care. Try to start your day with brief moments of peace. It could be that you sit drinking coffee for 5 minutes or do quiet meditation. These moments can set a positive tone for the rest of your day.
Ensure that you are practicing gratitude as well. Take a few moments each day to reflect on something that you’re very grateful for. This can help to shift your focus from the stress that you may be feeling towards more positive thoughts, and this can help you to feel grounded.
Delegate and Ask for Help
It’s impossible for one woman to do everything on her own, and you should not try. Put down your superhero cape and start delegating responsibilities. This is a form of self-care as it frees you with a lot of time to pamper yourself.
If you have a partner or older children, make sure that household duties are distributed fairly between all of you. Even younger children can help with small tasks, such as tidying up their toys or washing dishes.
Consider outsourcing some of the tasks that you do as a necessity. Grocery shopping and meal prep can be done this way. There are services that will deliver your groceries to you, and meal kits can save you time and dramatically reduce your workload.
Practice Self-Compassion
Moms put a lot of pressure on themselves to meet high expectations, which can lead to a lot of burnout. Practicing self-compassion is a great way for you to stay grounded at all times
Make sure that you’re setting realistic expectations. You can make sure you have realistic expectations by prioritizing what really matters and letting go of the idea you may have to do everything perfectly.
Not every day is going to be productive, and that’s okay. Focus on the progress you’re making and not on perfection.
Remind yourself that you’re doing a great job and acknowledge your efforts. Realize that you are allowed to make mistakes. Being kind to yourself is just as important as being kind to other people.
Prioritize Sleep
It’s no secret that sleep is often in short supply when you are a busy mom, but it’s one of the most important aspects of self-care, and you can’t afford to skimp on this. Quality sleep is going to recharge you physically and mentally. Try to have an early bedtime if possible. Make sure that you establish a bedtime routine for your children that helps them to wind down so you can also get out of bed at a reasonable time.
Prioritize quality over quantity if you can’t get a full 8 hours of sleep. Focus on making the sleep you do get as restful as possible. Always create calming environments by keeping the room dark, cool, and quiet when you’re trying to sleep. Many people find that using white noise machines or calming scents such as lavender also helps improve the quality of the sleep that they are getting.
There’s a lot you need to consider when you are trying to make self-care a priority as a busy mom. The good news is that if you take the time to be diligent about it, you can achieve that goal of having time for yourself even while you are caring for others. You should never feel guilty about taking some time for yourself; this is often a problem for busy moms because they always feel like they should be giving more.
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