5 Easy Self-care ideas for the busy mama

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Being a mom – whether you work outside the home or stay home with your kiddos – is BUSY! It’s also tiring and wonderful and many other things. But one thing is for sure, us moms don’t take enough time to take care of ourselves. I have included a variety of different ideas. Keep in mind, self-care is different for every person and every stage of life so these are what is currently working for me as a mama of a 14 month old and about to pop with our second.

I’ve got 5 Self care ideas that I try to do each at least once a week!

• At Home Facial

• Workout Alone

• Get up before the kids

• Read a book just for you

• Take a bath (preferably not while looking at kids’ bath toys)

After having a really rough first few months postpartum with my first son, I knew I needed to work on taking better care of myself so that I could take better care of my son. I went back to the things that made me feel good and whole before having a baby. As moms we deserve to find things that make us feel good. After all, we cannot pour from an empty cup, so we must fill our own cup so that we can be the best version of ourselves for our families. I also know that a lot of times there is not a ton of money left for mama to go out and spoil herself. With that sentiment in mind, I have tried to keep the cost of this low!

1. At Home facial

Getting a facial at a facility works great too!! I tried to keep this list as cost effective as possible, though. When I do an at home facial I do a series of 3-4 face masks, a steamer and a high frequency wand. The first mask I do is an oil balancing Red Clay mask that helps to pull oil from your face to refine pore appearance and brighten complexion. The second mask is a super refreshing cooling moisture mask with peppermint That uses sustainably sourced shea butter to moisturize your skin and Phynitol helps to smooth skin and improve skin tone. The third mask is a cell renewal mask that uses fruit acids and AHAs to enhance skin elasticity and firmness. I sometimes skip this fourth mask but it always makes my skin feel amazing when I use it! This Sheet mask with Niacinamide Brightens and tones your skin.

I have this facial steamer and I absolutely loved it! You just fill a little tank with some water, turn it on and you are all set! It takes just a few minutes and your face feels completely hydrated! There are many benefits to steaming your face!

This high frequency wand is something I use every night before bed. I can tell when I do not use it because my face isn’t as smooth and has a duller tone to it.

2. Workout alone

If your gym has a child center, it is great to take your kiddos and get a workout in when you can. But hear me out! You still have to take snacks or diapers or who knows what else for your kiddos. You have to think about how long you will have to workout and if your child(ren) are okay. There is something completely different about pulling up to the gym or going to your garage/home gym alone and not having to focus on anyone but yourself. This leads me a little into my next point, but I think going early in the morning can be great if you can! For about 3 months I was able to get up at 4:30 and go workout, get home and get myself ready for the day and do a few things on my own before my kiddo got up. It felt great to accomplish something early and then his naps, schedule and how he was feeling that day didn’t affect whether or not I got a workout in.

3. Get up before the kids

When I tell people this as advice, I usually just get a bunch of eye rolls and “Yeah I’m glad that works for you” comments. As controversial as this concept is, it CAN be a great tool for us as moms. If you stay home with your kids, it may be the only time alone you get for the day – especially if nap schedules are different at your house. There is something to be said for accomplishing something right away and getting an easy win. When I get up before my son, I try to wash my face, get myself a water (before coffee) and unload the dishwasher. That takes me about 10-15 minutes in total. I’m not saying that you have to get up at 4am or do a huge morning routine. Even just getting breakfast started can feel like a win some days. If I have the time, I do complete a whole morning routine and try to get as much of it done as possible.

If you are new to this, just start off easy. Set an alarm about 10-15 minutes before your kids usually wake up. Err on the early side. My son is usually up between 7-7:30, this would mean I would start by getting up around 6:45 to get started and work toward as early as I felt necessary to get done the things I want to accomplish before he is up.

4. Read a book just for you

I would have rolled my eyes at this as a brand new mom. Seriously, read a book? I used to struggle so much to just sit, relax and read a good book. What I’ve learned is that escaping into a different world (an adult world) could help me relax and feel like I’ve accomplished something. I don’t watch TV often, but when I do its usually with my husband and when its by myself, I feel guilty and like I should be doing something else.

This is also convenient when you have a little baby in your room at night and you can’t turn the TV on to fall asleep. I was COMPLETELY dependent on the TV to fall asleep and when I had a new baby in my room, I was totally exhausted but overall struggled to sleep most nights because I was used to a TV. A book would have been a great way to unwind and set my brain up for sleep.

5. Take a bath (preferably not while looking at kids’ bath toys)

Don’t underestimate the power of taking a nice hot bath and relaxing! Add some bubbles, bath salts or whatever makes you feel relaxed and go for it! If you are taking a bath in the same tub as your kiddos, I would wash it first (or is it just my son who pees in the tub every night?) and tuck away those bath toys so you can actually relax!

The moral of the story here, is that taking care of yourself is extremely important! If none of these things suit your fancy, you can find some things that work for you. In order to take the best care of your family, you have to take the best care of yourself. Remember that you deserve it mama!