We all know about the importance of self-care for mothers, but when you’re sleep deprived and spend your whole day chasing after your precious ones, self-care can begin to feel like the impossible – right?
Loosing yourself in motherhood is easy to do. But whether you’re a new mummy, a working mum, a mum to multiple children or anywhere in between, that doesn’t mean that you should forget about your own needs.
And yes, it can be hard, but fitting self-care into the trenches of mum-life is certainly not impossible.
Plus, once you’ve done it (and feel better for it), this will have more of a positive ripple effect on your family, than you not taking the time you need.
From mum to mum, here are my 10 favourite (super quick and easy) ways to add self-care into your everyday life.
1. Rethink self-care.
This is key and the grounds for practicing self-care as a mum. It doesn’t need to be something that takes hours or lots of preparation. Simple self-care ideas are often the best. So instead ask yourself, what can you do in a few minutes so that you feel good?
Maybe it’s drinking a cup of tea, spending a few minutes sitting on the grass, putting on mascara each morning, or dancing to your favourite song while making breakfast. Maybe part of your self-care practice is simply getting changed out of your leggings a few days a week and wearing clothes that make you feel pretty.
2. Include your kids.
Self-care doesn’t need to be something you do on your own. You can look after yourself while your kids are around. You can practice deep breathing while feeding your baby. Do a few stretches with your older kids.Or learn to play that game they love so much and goof around!
3. If your children nap, use this time to your benefit.
This is great self-care tip for stay-at-home mums. Don’t spend the whole time scrolling through Instagram. Instead, read a book, do some yoga, meditate, take an uninterrupted shower or even take a quick nap yourself!
4. Go to bed earlier.
When your baby has gone down for the night could be the longest stretch of time you get to yourself (or to spend with your partner) and it can be far too easy to stay up late. But you’ve got to maximize the time you get to sleep, especially if your baby is still waking overnight, so be sure to go to bed at a reasonable time.
5. Ask your partner to look after your little ones for an hour or so once a week.
This is a great self-care tip for working mums (and all mums really). You can use this time to sleep in, go out for a coffee on your own, or anything else you don’t normally get the chance to do. If you’re lucky enough, perhaps this can be a ritual, for example every Saturday morning.
6. Use your shower time to pamper yourself.
Use your fancy moisturizer every day. Use a sugar scrub or a delicious smelling soap. Burn a candle or diffuse your favourite essential oil. You can even place a few drops of essential oil onto the bath and soak in.
7. Move your body and get your endorphins pumping.
This is another one you can do with your kids. You can go for a walk with the pram or chase your older kids around the park. You can do strength exercises using your baby as a weight. And for bonus feel good points, get outside. You will always feel better after spending time in nature.
8. Fuel your body with nourishing foods.
Look up healthy meals you can prepare or do your meal prep on the weekend. Be prepared, and fuel your body with the foods that are going to make you feel good.
9. Keep your house tidy by doing a little bit of cleaning every day.
If the house is a mess most likely you will feel like a mess too. A house that’s somewhat tidy and clean makes you feel so much better. Doing a little bit each day keeps everything some sort of order, and means we avoid it becoming an insurmountable task.
10. Ask for help.
You don’t have to do any of it on your own. Get your partner, your friends or your family to help out whenever and wherever you need it. This step is key if you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed by everything that being a mum entails.
Ultimately as a mum, self-care is often about the micro changes you make throughout the day, to help yourself feel good. And if you do lots of small things throughout the day I promise you, it will all add up and you’ll be reaping the benefits in no time.
Adapted from http://casadekarma.com.au
