Let’s face it, no matter how grateful we are to be home with our kids or how much we love them—staying home with them is exhausting. You are on the job literally every waking moment (and often during the “I-should-be-sleeping” moments, too). Thus the need for: SELF-CARE TIPS!
Self- Care is a hot topic among moms, but not all “self-care” is created equal. Eating chocolate cake is great and all, but it’s not necessarily going to fill your cup and prepare you to face another day of motherhood with a zest for life. It’s more likely to give you a sugar crash in an hour, leaving you fighting to keep your eyes open while your toddler drags your body around the house.
But the RIGHT kind of self-care can help! So put down that laundry basket (don’t worry, it’ll be there later, I promise. It will ALWAYS. Be. There.), find a cozy spot, and keep reading because these tips DO work.
Pin this for later to remind yourself when you’re feeling rundown!
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1. Get Ready for the Day
Even if there are no adult interactions on the horizon, give yourself some care. Get out of your pajamas, style your hair, and even put on some makeup if you like.
I know, it sounds like MORE work, but two things will come from this habit: first, your child will learn to respect your time and boundaries if you consistently insist on giving yourself 15 minutes in the morning. Second, you will feel better about yourself—cleaner, less frazzled, and more sane. As a bonus, when someone knocks on the door unexpectedly, you’ll already have pants on!
2. Journaling
There are a lot of ways to go about this: three-minute journaling, photo journaling, a gratitude journal, a good old-fashioned diary, or even keeping a detailed calendar might count for you.
The point of this daily ritual is twofold. You get to slow down and reflect on your day, and it allows you to remember things that would otherwise be lost in the vortex of time.
If this sounds overwhelming, remember that it can be very brief. It doesn’t have to take long to pack a powerful punch of positivity into your day.
3. Drink More Water
Water is amazing. The list of benefits you get from drinking enough water is wild. And it sounds simple to drink water… until you have a horde of thirsty children following you around all day, trying to drink out of your water bottle. Then you go to drink, and it always seems to be empty. Right?
This is a very familiar story in our home, so here is the solution I recommend: Each child gets their own water bottle. Something like this or this has worked well for us. Then my husband and I use these. Once everyone has their own bottle, protect your water bottle boundary at all costs. If you stay consistent, pretty soon they’ll stop asking to use yours and just grab their own.
4. Make Time to do Something you LOVE
When we had four kids under four, I spent days on end without ever hearing my actual name. Two toddlers and two newborns meant that my life was fully consumed with merely keeping humans alive.
Know the feeling?
Between feeds, diaper changes, trips to the big kid potty, going down for naps, getting up from naps, cooking, and bath times, we moms are exhausted. We may not even know what we love to do anymore because all we can do in any scrap of time we find is sleep.
After about a year of four tiny humans consuming my life, my husband and I decided that I needed something that was mine—away from the children. A place where I could go and be a part of something as myself, not as my children’s mother. IT CHANGED MY LIFE. For me, it was doing local theater. But it can be anything you love. It is more than okay to do something you love regularly—it is necessary! Show your kids that you have passions and dreams.
5. Talk to Other Adults
Do you ever feel isolated on the island of motherhood? That is totally normal! Call your best friend, start a Marco Polo group, meet up for lunch, or Zoom if you have to, but make sure you interact with other adults who build you up. Motherhood means never being alone, but it doesn’t mean that you won’t feel lonely.
Even ten minutes of adult conversation can turn your day around and give you the boost you need to face the dreaded toy room cleanup or the never-ending pile of laundry that is growing in the corner of your closet.
So Remember…
True self-care means caring for yourself. And caring for any human—even yourself—is work. You are worth the effort. Arrangements might have to be made, and sacrifices might need to be made. I know that my husband has faced many a bedtime routine alone after working a full day so that I could go do something that filled my cup. And I faced mom guilt for this! I shouldn’t have. Everyone deserves the chance to care for themselves. What can you put into or take out of your life to show yourself some love? Do it; I dare you to.
*Readers should also note that this blog post is being written by a braless, unbrushed, unbathed mother of five, curled up on the couch while her three-year-old eats chocolate protein powder out of the jar. Give yourself grace. You won’t be perfect every day, even when you fully believe in the power of these habits.*
I’m sharing this with all the “mothers” in my life!