37 Simple Ways for Busy Moms to Practice Self Care

Valentine’s Day. All over social media there’s love in the air and chatter about what nice things we can should do (and buy!) for the people that we love. But behind all the lovey-dovey talk, there’s a very important person we keep forgetting about.

Ourself.

The mothers of the world work so hard to care for their families 24/7 yet all too often forget to plan in anything nice for themselves. Even just to take a breather.

Quite a while back I touched on why moms should take a time out. It’s definitely time for a recap and to fill you in a little more about practicing self care.

But wait! Isn’t self care really just being selfish?!?

In case you’re a little unsure, keep reading to find out about what self care means, why it is so important- yes, YOU TOO should be practicing self care- and a list of simple, yet beneficial, ways you too can take a time out to care for yourself.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.

What is Self Care?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines self care as “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider”.

Which is a really long way of saying, self care is looking after all the things in our life that help us to stay healthy and safe.

Self care isn’t only about making time for a long hot shower or getting to your annual health check up. (Although it is that too!) Self care encompasses all aspects of your life. It includes your physical, mental, spiritual and social needs.

Self care (or lack of it) can affect your:

Physical Health

Think heart health, energy levels and sleep patterns, as well as eating habits and the use of alcohol and drugs.

Mental Health

Changes in mood (think depression and anxiety), emotions like anger and frustration as well as concentration levels and being able to manage stress.

Spiritual Health

Feelings of connection to oneself and to an external power (whether as part of religion or not) as well as being able to feel comfort and hope.

Social Health

The ability to build and maintain healthy relationships can also be affected by how much energy we put into taking care of ourselves.

Why is Self Care So Important for Moms?

Self care is important for every person, but somehow us mamas tend to repeatedly relegate it to the bottom of our “to do list” while all the family responsibilities continue to be taken care of.

Even though there is no actual written rule saying this, many of us mothers feel pressure to be and do everything. At any time. And all the time.

Talk to the other moms from school and maybe you’ll hear how their child learns piano AND Chinese AND trains twice a week for the football team. (Or at least that’s what you think they said…) And then you look at social media and feel like you’re failing because there’s all these perfectly-manicured moms breezily telling you how you can have a picture-perfect house in *only* 297 daily steps. And never mind that you missed a phone call from your boss and the wet clothes are still sitting in your washing machine from yesterday…

And now you near you are supposed to find time for yourself on top of all that too?!?

Urgh!

But the answer is: YES.

Did you feel your heart start to race as you read through those last few sentences? You did? THAT is precisely why you need to practice self care!

You NEED to take time off for yourself. It doesn’t have to be for long (even 10 minutes can do wonders!) but you DO need to look after yourself.

Is Self Care Being Selfish?

You can’t pour from an empty cup. A car won’t run on an empty tank. Put on your oxygen mask before helping others…. You get the idea right?

If you don’t take the time to fill up your tank, how will you consistently have enough energy for effectively taking care of anyone else?

Self care is not selfish! Self care is giving yourself the same attention you give others.

Go look in the mirror and say loudly “Self care is not selfish!”. Now practice saying it regularly until you believe it 😉.

37 Simple Self Care Practices for Busy & Stressed Out Moms

So if self care isn’t selfish, can you just pack a suitcase and your favourite bottle of wine and head off into the sunset with your 6 best gal pals? Well…

Some moms will be able to work this into their family’s schedule. For many other moms such a grandiose plan may get a little tricky. But don’t let that stop you from finding the your own self care routine, sometimes even in the simplest of pleasures.

Here is a long list of super suggestions covering how you can take care of your physical, mental, spiritual and social health! Psst! Almost all of these self care ideas are FREE!!

List of Self Care Ideas for Moms

Take a long bath

Meditate

Go for a walk or a run alone

Go for a walk or a run with a friend

Give yourself a pedicure

Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee

Phone your mum

Take a nap

Listen to your favourite music

Buy yourself some flowers

Go for a night away with friends

Go for a night away with your partner (but have someone else watch the kids!)

Sew yourself a new outfit

Take a long hot shower

Spend some time in prayer

Paint or draw

Do a brain dump to clear your mind

Unplug from social media for 30 minutes (or more!)

Go for a swim

Play with your pet

Phone a friend

Watch that TV show you’ve heard so much about

Play in the garden with your kids

Start a journal

Work on a new knitting (or crochet) project

Practice using affirmations

Enjoy a glass (or 2) of your favourite wine

Sing

Dance (like nobody’s watching, as they say 😉)

Get a massage

Get a manicure

Practice your musical instrument

Listen to a new podcast

Read

Write a gratitude list

Nibble on some dark chocolate

Sit outdoors in the sunshine and do nothing

Do I have my shit together all the time? Heck no! But I DO know what things work for me to make me feel happier, healthier and stronger. And I try my best to do some of them regularly in between the all day, every day stuff.

I know you will find a few suggestions on this list that you can incorporate into your own self care routine. Remember, self care isn’t selfish!

Which ideas do you think you might try? Drop a comment below! 👇