Self-Care Ideas For Mothers This Valentines Day (And Every Day)
Mama, you’ve been working hard. Your kids want a happy mom over a perfect mom, so are you making you a priority? I know it’s probably hard to add self-care to the long list of tasks in your day. But if you don’t take time for yourself, you could be doing more harm than good. Whether you can carve out a few minutes for yourself, or a whole day, I wanted to share some of my favorite self-care ideas for other moms.
Get Moving
Movement is such an amazing way to make you and your body feel refreshed, energized, and ready to take on the week. Whether you can make time to head to the gym, pull out the mat at home, or just head out in nature, find some way to get moving! I am unable to get out of the house to head to a gym, so my favorite way to get my body moving is through daily time on my mat. My daughter knows this is my quiet time and we’ve practiced independent play while I’m on my mat, but mostly she will sit and watch me work out and occasionally try the moves herself. I enjoy mixing it up between free Pilates, Grow With Jo, or Yoga with Adrienne all on YouTube. At some point in our day, we also make it a priority to get out in nature (not just our backyard). We luckily live by a trail and walk 2 miles on it every day.
Some ways to get moving to try:
Try taking a walk around your neighborhood
Do some yoga
Is it warm? Head to the beach for a swim or kayak
Ride your bike
Spend time in the garden
Find a new trail and go for a hike
Brain Break
Your brain deserves a break too! Moms are typically tasked with so much behind the scenes remembering: remembering everything on the calendar, remembering where everything is in the house, remembering to do your own things, and so forth. It’s time to give that brain a break! I enjoy writing in my Present Not Perfect journal, meditating, reading, or coloring in my coloring book. We have started loosely homeschooling, which is my daughter choosing a learning activity and working on it herself. During that time, I choose one of my brain break activities or one of my hobbies to work on.
Break break activities to try:
Writing in a journal
Sketching in an art journal or coloring book
Meditation
Read a book
Try a crossword puzzle or other brain puzzles
Do a puzzle
Pamper Time
Pampering yourself is everyone’s stereotypical self-care idea, but all of the ideas on this page make you a priority too! Although I make an effort to do some of these tasks daily to fill my cup, I love a good spa day once a week. I’m thankful that my husband and I rotate bedtime responsibilities so one of us isn’t tasked with it every single night. I like to choose one of the nights I have off and turn our bathroom into my luxury spa. I start with my skincare while the bath fills up, add some bubble bath, decorate the room with candles, grab my book, and enjoy a relaxing thirty minutes to an hour in my space. I finish my spa night with a good body lotion and a fuzzy robe. If I don’t have anything else planned that night, I might even keep the cozy vibe by lighting candles in my bedroom, probably starting the fireplace, and reading my book some more before ending the night.
Ways to pamper yourself:
Make time for skincare
Relax in a hot bath
Buy yourself some flowers
Give yourself a facial
Find a nice lotion or body oil
Sneak in a nap
Socialize
Don’t get me wrong, I love being a stay at home mom. But moms need socialization too! Make time to get out of the house and enjoy talking to some other adults whether it’s a few time a week or a few times a month. I don’t have anything that I do regularly for socialization time, but we are a part of a few activities for families that allows me time to catch up with other local parents, our friends sometimes join us for our daily walk, or I like to hop on any opportunity my community may have to better myself and my writing. I’m very lucky my husband has the ability to work from home and we will preplan the days that there is an event I should attend or a meetup with my local writing collaborations. Do whatever works best for you! Even if that’s a moms day in the park with coffee. Having to have your kids tag along to your socialization time is still a way to make self-care work for you.
Ways to find time for interaction:
Have lunch at a new restaurant
Go to a community event
Make a walking date
Go window shopping
Volunteer with a friend
Join a book club or moms group
Try Something New
Whether you’ve had a big plan of writing your own book or always had a goal of rock climbing, why not use your ‘you-time’ to try something new! I like to make a list of goals each year, and on there I like to try and include something new in each category. Trying something new is such an amazing skill for both you and your children! Your children see you as someone who knows it all, why not let them see you fail at something and learn how to navigate attempting something new.
Things you can consider:
Rock climbing
Write a book
Visit a new place for the first time
Geocaching
Pick up an instrument
Take a dance class
Practice Your Hobbies
Some moms are completely fine with the idea of waiting until littles are out of their house to get back to themselves. Some moms just want to be moms! And both of those are completely fine! I am not content just to be a mom. I need something that drives me, that keeps me busy, feels fulfilling, and like I am contributing in more than just being a mother. My favorite hobby that also contributes to the family is gardening. I love being able to provide fresh and nutritious food to my family. My hobby turned business is photography and writing. Then, I like to fill my other time practicing sewing, painting, and embroidery. I know there are more hobbies on that list because I like to try it all at least once, but those are my go-tos.
Skills you can try:
Practice cooking/baking with a new recipe
Try out a sport
Take a painting or drawing class
Practice an instrument
Candle making