Taking Time for Yourself: Busy Moms’ Self-Care Ideas

“I never have any time for myself!” If you’re a busy mom, it’s likely you’ve had this thought. Between work, school, extra-curricular activities, and whatever else fills you and your kids’ schedules, life is very full. You spend so much time taking such good care of everyone else in your family that the only person who is often left out is…you. Even though self-care is probably at the bottom or falling off your list these days there may be ways to incorporate it to your daily activities without adding another thing to your schedule.

Do yourself (and your family) a favor and try some of these self-care ideas for busy moms, so you can begin taking as good care of yourself as you do everyone else.

1. Self-care by increasing movement.

Getting exercise is integral to a healthy and happy life. Remember, it isn’t just about staying in shape (although that’s a nice side effect!). Exercise keeps your body and mind functioning well by helping to stave off diseases, like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and more. The healthier you are, the better care you can offer your family.

Finding it hard to find time to go to the gym? Sneak exercise into your day by taking time to:

• Play catch with your kids (great hand-eye coordination practice for them too!)
• Park farther out in the parking lot at stores and walk in
• Have spontaneous dance parties with your kids
• Add a few minutes of relaxing yoga to your bedtime routine
• Sign up for physical activities with your kids

These are only a few of the many ways you can start moving more and taking good care of your body.

2. Create something.

When was the last time you created something just for the fun of creating it? Science tells us that creativity actually helps relieve stress, depression, and anxiety. “But…I don’t have time to create anything!” you might be thinking.

Get creative about being creative. Do you enjoy baking? Your family needs to eat anyway, so try new bread or pastry recipes to get your creative juices flowing. Perhaps you like to knit or sew. Your family needs clothing and other items anyway, so make everyone a new hat for Christmas or make new pillows for the couch to change up your decor.

3. Treat yourself self-care.

Treat yourself to something you enjoy as a reward for a job well done. You probably already do this with your kids to some extent. Maybe they get an extra hour of video games on the weekend for keeping their room neat all week. Why shouldn’t you get something for the endless chores you’re always keeping up with?

Indulge in a delicious piece of dark chocolate when that time of the month rolls around. Enjoy a soothing cup of tea after a long day. Have a DIY facial or massage and go for a professional spa day on particularly special occasions.

Give yourself a break from dinner one night by ordering pizza and watching a movie with your kids. All the time you’ll save by not cooking and cleaning will give you a chance to enjoy that movie guilt-free.

4. Evaluate whether you’re doing more than you really want to.

Is your plate simply too full? Many moms get stuck thinking they have to say yes to everything. They won’t succeed at being supermom if they tell their kids they don’t have time for one more extra-curricular activity or if they turn down that extra project at work.

Take a long, hard look at your schedule and see if there are things in it that make you groan. It’s time to cut them out or come up with another way of handling them if it’s an essential item like cleaning the bathroom. Learning to say “no” is incredibly freeing.

5. Self-care and get silly.

Sometimes amidst all the serious business of life, you just need a bit of silliness to give your brain a break. Turn on your favorite song and dance with the broom while you belt out the lyrics. Your kids may look at you funny, but we promise they’ll enjoy it (even if only in secret). Plan a comedy show for your next date night or watch something hilarious on TV. Laughter is good for the soul and helps relieve stress.

Make visiting the dentist an easy task.

We hope these busy mom self-care ideas will help you relax and enjoy life a little more. You already have enough on your plate, so taking your kids to the dentist shouldn’t be another gargantuan chore. Here at We Make Kids Smile, that’s exactly what we do, which makes you smile too. Everyone knows that a mom with happy kids is a happy mom.

Feel free to book an appointment for a test run today! We work with all types of children, including those with special needs, to provide top-quality dental care that will alleviate some of the pressure from your already hectic day.