The pace of life these days is hard to keep up with. Between a worldwide pandemic, virtual schooling kids, working from home and trying to maintain your sanity in the chaos of it all is taking toll on moms every where. And selfcare has probably completely fallen off the list.
But now is probably a time when moms need some selfcare more than ever. It’s not easy to put ourselves first but with the number of people and things that we are taking care for these days, we have to find ways to prioritize selfcare. So here are 7 ways busy moms can prioritize their selfcare…
Wake up early.
Waking up early is no easy task. Most of us are not getting enough sleep as it is. But waking up just 15-30 minutes before the crazy morning routine begins can give you the time you need to focus on yourself.
You can journal, read, meditate or just drink a hot cup of coffee without interruption. It really helps to set the tone for the day and gives you a moment to breathe before chaos ensues.
Plan your day.
It is so easy for time to get away from you especially if you are just going with the flow of things. But when you are intentional with your time you are able to find pockets of time throughout the day and utilize them to your advantage.
Plan in workouts even if it’s just a quick walk on your lunch break. Plan your meals to save time and ensure you are making healthy food choices throughout your day. Plan downtime to give you space to release stress throughout your day. These may seem small but are important ways to care for yourself.
All moms are in dire of need of down time. But we often don’t take full advantage of our downtime leaving us still feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Raise your hand if your downtime is often you sitting on the couch beating yourself up about all the things you should be doing instead of enjoying the moment?
Pick a few downtime activities that you enjoy like reading a book, watching a favorite show or even napping. Find at least a few times a week to allow yourself to enjoy these activities with no guilt and nothing else on the agenda.
Ask for what you need.
You won’t get what you need if you don’t ask for it and unfortunately, no one is going to read your mind. So many of us keep up the façade that we have got everything handled when we feel like we are drowning. But why? Communicate your need, ask for help, and accept it.
So many moms struggle with this for so many reasons. But the truth is we weren’t made to navigate motherhood on our own. Tell your spouse or partner you need more support or ask them to take something off your plate. Ask the people around you for help…friends, family, neighbors, a fellow school mom or even your boss and coworkers. People are willing and able to support you when you are overwhelmed.
Put your phone down.
We often claim to be practicing selfcare when we zone out to candy crush or scrolling our way deep into the rabbit hole of social media. Before you know it, you look up and you have wasted an hour of your time. Then there is incessantly checking your email only to get sidetracked into another app and then forgetting why you even got on your phone in the first place.
All of these traps have us spending way more time our cell phones than necessary. Just take a moment and check your daily cell phone usage log. You will be shocked at how much time you spend on your cell phone. If you are being honest are you any less stressed after spending an hour on Instagram? Set times of the day you will check social media or emails and stick to it. You will be amazed how much time you get back.
Make selfcare a nonnegotiable.
As much as you do for your family, you deserve to set aside time for yourself without feeling guilty. Build some selfcare practices into your daily routine and make them nonnegotiable.
It can be anything from a regular therapy sessions, daily journaling, sitting down for a real meal at least once a day, setting a bedtime, or practicing a daily skincare routine. Pick 3 things you can do for yourself regularly and stick to it.
Say no.
You don’t need to do everything for everybody. You don’t need to be on the PTA, run a planning committee at church and sign all your kids up for 3 different activities. No! That doesn’t leave any time or space for yourself and it is just not healthy to stress yourself out with things that you are not required to do. If you love it, great…Do what makes you happy. But say no to the things that just add unnecessary stress and give yourself the space to say yes to selfcare.
How do you manage to prioritize your selfcare?