Self Care Tips for Busy Mums

Life with kids is hectic, from sleep deprivation during the newborn stage to toddler tantrums to whisking the kids around to their sports and activities. Unfortunately, it doesn't slow down.

When you’re so busy looking after everyone else, it's important not to let yourself get lost along the way. Prioritising a little 'you' time as self care as a mum right from the beginning is super important.

We've put together a list of self care for busy mums tips. We know that prioritising all of these won't be possible, but if you can manage just a few, it will make a world of difference to your mental and physical health.

1. Create a Morning Routine 

Starting your day off on the right foot is one of the best things a busy mum can do. We know it won’t always be possible, but if you can wake up 20 minutes before your little one, do it. 

You could soak in the shower, relax on the couch with your morning coffee, meditate or whatever works for you. Having a brief time to centre yourself in the morning with peace and quiet will help put you in a positive frame of mind for the day. 

Suggesting less sleep to an already sleep-deprived mum sounds cruel, but we can assure you the benefits far outweigh the slightly shorter rest.

2. Get Dressed

We’ve all gone through the stage where it seems easier to stay in our dressing gowns all day. But this isn’t good for our mental health. Not getting dressed puts us in the mind frame of – I have nothing to do today. 

When we spend all day in our dressing gown, we’re less likely to commit to exercise, take the baby for a walk, or play outside with the kids. Also, getting ready for the day helps to separate the day from the night, which can sometimes become a little blurred for busy mums of bubs.

3. Exercise Daily 

It doesn’t have to be a 10km run or intense fitness class; a walk around the block or a 15-minute online exercise class will do the trick. In addition, even a short burst of exercise every day will release endorphins, mood-enhancing hormones. 

Communicating to the rest of your family that you need to exercise daily is a great way to help it become a priority. 

Put your exercise clothes on first thing in the morning. That you can get your exercise done as soon as an opportunity presents itself.

4. Nourish Yourself 

Eating right is one of the best things you can do for your health. It’s particularly important for busy mums, as a nutrient deficiency is common after pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. 

Eating healthy meals and nutritious snacks will ensure you’re adequately fuelling your body. Try to balance each meal with a fat, protein and carbohydrate component. For example, your lunch might be a salad with quinoa (carbs), avocado (fat) and tuna (protein). Then, bulk up the rest of the meal with as many colourful veggies as possible. 

In Shape Mummy Health Shakes are a great quick and easy way to ensure you’re not missing out on essential nutrients. 

5. Block Out Some ‘Me Time’

Whether it’s a long bath at the end of the day, a massage once a month or doing your nails.. Whatever refills your cup and makes you feel good. It’s easy to let these self-care rituals slip when we’re tending to little ones 24/7, but prioritising a bit of me time will do wonders for your mood and mental health.

6. Have Some Fun 

Us mums can get so caught up with our busy lifestyle that we can forget what it’s like to hang out with friends and have fun. Of course, we know that finding time to catch up with mates, especially other mums, can feel impossible, but even if you book it for a couple of months in advance, it will make it more likely to happen and it will give you something to look forward to. 

Mums and bubs groups are a great way to meet new people. You can find local meet ups online.

7. Immerse Yourself in Something

Whether it’s a podcast, tv show, or book, finding something you can immerse yourself in is a wonderful way to care for yourself. You might find the only time you can focus on something like a book or tv show is once your little ones are in bed. That’s okay, as it will also help you to switch off before bed.

8. Try Journaling

Journaling is a fantastic tool for reducing stress and creating space between negative thoughts. It’s easy to get stuck on a negative thought train but taking a moment to jot down what’s bothering you can help you get it out of your heard so that you can see it from a new perspective.

  
You can also write about positive things like what you’re grateful for or the three best things that happened in your day. Writing about the positive parts of your day is beneficial for your mental health because it encourages you to reflect on the day and pinpoint the things that made you happy.

9. Meditate

Meditation is a proven method for clearing your mind of negative thoughts and helping you to relax. It’s a fantastic activity for mental well-being and health in general. Many people use meditation to cope with stress, something that busy mums know all about. 

Knowing where and how to start can feel daunting, but there are some fantastic apps are designed to support people on all stages of their journey. Some of our favourites include Headspace, Insight Timer and Smiling Minds.

10. Don’t be Too Hard on Yourself

This is possibly our most important tip. Too many mums set unreasonable expectations for what can be achieved in a day. We need to remind ourselves that we’re looking after one or multiple humans. So the cooking, cleaning and general household activities might suffer some days, and that is okay. Be kind to yourself. 

So instead of trying to tick off an unreasonable to-do list, focus on keeping yourself, and your little one cleaned, fed and rested. We say that’s more than enough!