How are you making time for self-care as a mom?
Admittingly, self-care for me has not been a huge priority the last several years. This time has seen me starting, revamping and expanding several businesses, shuttling my child between school and therapy, and some days barely making it off of 4-5 hours a sleep a night.
This year I pledged to myself that I would make my self-care a bigger priority. With a couple of health scares and lots scheduling changes for my son, I was forced to sit down and reevaluate how exactly was I taking care of myself.
What did self-care look like before motherhood?
Before motherhood, self-care might have meant having standing bi-weekly nail appointments and browsing the isles of your favorite bookstore, or binge watching tv shows. When you become a mother, you wonder how are supposed to create “free” time to do this when you have to plan multiple meals daily, pack lunches, help with homework, do laundry, schedule service for the furnace, and the list goes on.
Self-care for moms isn’t always brunch out with friends or luxurious spa treatments though. It becomes something more meaningful. Because time is a luxury many moms don’t have, it becomes something that benefits us the most emotionally and physically. And while maybe not so glamorous, very essential.
What does self-care look like in motherhood?
What does self-care really even mean? Well, this looks different to each mom because our priorities and needs are different.
Maybe one mom might want (need) a little extra sleep because without it she gets migraines and super low energy turning her into a grumpy muffin. So being able to have mid-day naps or uninterrupted sleep at night might be essential for her. Another mom might need to be able to have a daily Facetime chat with a friend because sometimes it gets overwhelming when you haven’t spoken to another adult all day. Another mom might need to be able to sit down and eat one quiet meal by herself because she’s been preparing meals for kids all day, packing lunches for school, or grocery shopping for all the meals for the coming week.
Sometimes self-care changes
I remember having that strict bi-weekly nail appointment. And if my nails got chipped in between I was back at the nail salon for a repair. Every single time! But now more than 10 years into being a mom to my sonshine (who’s almost tall as me) and with school drop offs and pick ups, field trips, trying to figure out what’s for dinner for the next three days, and business responsibilities, I do well to make a monthly appointment for a regular mani and pedi. And that’s without overlays or jazzy designs and only color on my pedi (because I must have some kind of razzle dazzle). LOL I didn’t welcome this change at first but I survived it. I still do occasionally binge watch my favorites on HGTV. But my self-care must haves have definitely changed.
However self-care looks for you make sure you pencil it in your planner, add to the calendar on your phone, just make some kind of reminder for yourself to get it in. This should be just as important as your child’s swim lessons or dentist appointment. For you to be able to pour into and care for your family, you (MOM) need to be cared for. Not just surviving but thriving.
How do you make time for self-care with an already full schedule?
You can’t add any more hours into a day so just how do you accomplish this? You need to mindfully engage in your self-care. This might be difficult if you have multiple little ones at home. But it could be as simple as penciling in some focused meditation for 15-20 minutes. Maybe in the morning while the house is still quiet, during your children’s nap time, or right before bed. You can also get some in while doing other things. Maybe you can get some squats in while taking the baby out in the stroller, or maybe incorporate baby into your workout somehow. There’s so much room for creativity here.
It’s important to note that making time for self-care means moving less important things down on your to do list. You may have to let the dishes sit until later, fold the laundry tomorrow, or mop the floors in the weekend. Would you rather be emotionally and mentally in balance or have a picked up living room? Be honest here umkay!
No more scoffing at self-care. Don’t feel like you can’t make the time because you deserve this! Remember a well-cared for mom can take care of her family well. Checkout this great Self-Care Planner for help being more intentional about your self-care.
