27 Self Care Ideas for Busy Moms

Hey mom! In the midst of your busy day, does a mere thought of taking a 10 minutes (or even longer) break make you sigh (and may be roll your eyes) and think -“how can I take a break no matter how much I need it”? Then don’t push away that thought. Hold it and tell yourself that YOU CAN get a break! And just go for it! May be you’ll only have 5 to 10 minutes for yourself but still in those 5 minutes you can recharge yourself and face the challenges of motherhood and the boring household chores with much more enthusiasm!!!

As a mom, It’s really hard to even just sit down and have some peace of mind while your newborn or (/and) toddlers continuously nagging you for your attention!! I totally get this!!! We moms always keep ourselves busy with providing attention to everyone around us, our children, our husband, In-laws – everyone BUT ourselves!! You -mom, you also need your own attention for yourself!! Because at the end of the day if you are not feeling well physically, mentally and spiritually, you can’t take proper care of your family and children. Self care is really really important for you !

So, no matter how much time you get in a day for yourself, give that little time to yourself and do something that you enjoy! Wondering how to make time for yourself through your busy days? Check out these 10 ways to make more time for yourself !

Now if you are like me then, when you finally manage to get some time for yourself, you pass half the time pondering and deciding about what to do now or just keep scrolling through Facebook almost the whole time you have got for yourself without even realizing it!! And then it feels like you are even more exhausted than before!! right??

So, to help you out I have made this list of things that you can do to make you feel refreshed and boost your mood! So, next time you’ll have your options ready to follow as soon as you get that break!!

You can choose any self care activity according to how much time you have in your hand. This list covers self care ideas that take as little time as 5-10 minutes to as long as you can manage to give yourself! So go ahead and choose what fits for you!

1. Read A Book

I love reading books! whenever I get enough time I prefer to read books!

If you are a reader then after being a mom you must be dreading for some reading time! Why not Just grab the book when you manage to make time and sit down for some reading!! May be after putting your kids to sleep in the afternoon or at night, you can have a couple of hours in your hand to read peacefully.

If you don’t have time to read novels after entering in motherhood (which is completely true!), you can go for short stories!! I love short stories. They are simple sweet and some times have an unexpected twist at the end and the best thing about them is that they give you the long last feeling that you finally managed to get to the end of the story!!

Audio books can be another great option if you don’t want to strain your eyes! Pick any form of reading and enjoy the stories!

2. Go For A Walk

Some times being stuck in our home makes us feel more exhausted. Getting out of the house and enjoying the sun or the change in scenery can make you feel joyful and refreshed.

You can even take your children out with you and enjoy the walk. They can ride their cycles if they are old enough or with your newborn in the baby cart you can totally manage to go out and enjoy the fresh air!

You can have this walk as long as you want.

3.Listen Some Music

When it comes to music I (literally) don’t need to ” make time ” to listen my favorite playlist! I listen to it when I am doing work or playing with my daughter or just sitting and enjoying my cup of tea! Music is a total mood booster!

So, when you have time, you can enjoy your favorite music without interruption and be relaxed!

4. Call A Friend

The first thing that’s get affected after becoming a mom is our friendship! We always fail to get enough time to talk to our best friends let alone meet them!

So when you’ll get time for your break just call your friend and talk. It will surely make your day! Even if it’s a 5 minute talk, you will feel great after that phone call, I bet you!!

5. Work Out

If you have 10-15 minutes for yourself then do some work out! It may seem like some additional work to your everyday work and an exhausting one but believe me after doing the work out you will feel different! You will feel fresh and energized! Do whichever type you like – some intense work out, zumba or yoga or any other type that you like.

It will help you to maintain your physical health plus mental health and have some inner peace!

6. Meet Up With Friends

Well, If you have a couple of hours in your hand then why not go and meet your friends? What can be more refreshing than getting a chance to meet your friends and spend time talking and laughing with them?

You can pre-plan this meet up if you know when you’ll be having this much time or schedule your day or week so that you can get this much time and can catch up with your friend or friends!

7. Go On A Date With Your Spouse

When we enter in parenthood it surely affects our relationship with our spouse. We never get enough time for each other. So why not plan a date with your spouse and have some spark in your marriage after kids? You can hire a babysitter so that you both can spend some time with each other Or ask your or your husbands parents, if they live near you , to look after your kids! Some times it’s okay to ask for help moms. You deserve a break and you are worth it!

8.Get A Massage

What can be more relaxing than a massage??

I would love a massage after all the work I’ve done through the day! Who won’t? This is a nice option if you have enough time like 30-60 minutes for yourself! Just make an appointment or call the home service and Treat yourself!!

9.Create Something

When was the last time that you created something?( Don’t count your baby!!)

Or how many DIY pins you have saved in your pinterest account to “try” someday??

Why not today? Just pick a project and start creating something! It will make you feel good even if you won’t manage to complete it!

10.Follow Your Passion/ Hobby

Do you have a hobby/passion which you couldn’t pursue after becoming a mom?? Then go for it! Don’t scarifies your passion over the lie – “I don’t have enough time for this”!! You can always make time for your passion.

You can schedule your days, weeks and months and make time through it and follow your passion because it gives you the happiness when you finally get to play your violin or write the book you were planning to write for years!

11.Get Ready

As a stay at home we never bother to get ready or look better with a hairdo and some make up ! I mean what’s the point (not to mention we don’t get that much time but) you know, when you pull your hair into a good hairdo or even a basic but good looking bun, your newborn will definitely notice the change and have fun pulling your hair and playing with it! And you have to smile at your newborn even if you are screaming internally!!! I get this!! Totally!!

But come on ladies, Who doesn’t feel good after getting ready?? Wear a nice dress even if you are not going anywhere. Make your hair even if after some time your baby ‘s going to ruin it by pulling your hair to play with it! Apply some makeup and look good just for yourself! You will definitely feel good!!

12. Enjoy Some Solitude

Well, sometimes spend your time just with yourself. Enjoy your solitude when you get a break.

Enjoy a cup of tea at your favorite spot in your house. Or just relax and ponder over something. Or go for a walk alone! If you like to enjoy some alone time then you can have some solitude when you get some free time!

13. Shop Something For You

Who doesn’t love shopping?? We all have a list of things that we want to get for ourselves but always put aside when it comes to baby diapers vs your long wanted book or a beautiful shed of lipstick or a stunning dress or a super cute t-shirt!!

But it’s okay to purchase something that you wanted for long time or something that you liked a lot while you were on amazon! I am not telling you to spend a LOT OF money but you can shop something nice for YOURSELF once in a while!

14. Eat Something (Healthy)

Some times eating something when you have some free time can totally recharge you.

When your kids are napping and you finally have time to sit down and relax a bit then you can have healthy snacks to eat while going through your favorite magazine.

Try killing time while eating raw almonds or sprouts with pinch of salt and lemon juice while reading a book or sitting on chair at backyard watching the sky…… you will love it!!

15.Pamper Yourself

Pamper yourself! Paint your nails, apply a facial mask or get a pedicure or manicure, anything that you like! It will surely make you feel happy and relaxed.

16. Set Some Goals / Start Something New

Sometimes everyday routine without any change makes us dull and we loose the charm of our life. Specially after having kids we almost forget to set goals for ourselves (after kids it seems like we have only one goal – make them eat what we cook)

When was the last time you thought about setting a goal and trying to achieve it? Or start something new just for yourself, like blogging or any other business or a project, anything! Setting some goals and planning about achieving them can really boost your mood! It will give the much needed energy and feel of your pre-kid version! Start something new and set some goals in this break time and you will refuel yourself for a new life!!

17. Drink more Water

We often forget to take care of ourselves while taking care of our children and managing the work of the day! You need to be hydrated enough! Drinking enough water per day is a required thing for healthy you. So start developing a good habit of drinking more water whenever you get time!

18. Write A Journal

Writing journal is a great option for self care. When you get time you can write whatever you want in a journal. It can be a gratitude journal to practice gratitude or a simple journal to write down your random thoughts! Sometimes writing helps us to clear our mind and have a fresh mindset for rest of the day! try it!

19. Have A Glass Of Wine Or A Cup Of Tea

Even the idea of just sitting at my favorite spot in my house and sipping my cup of tea quietly makes me relaxed!!

After putting your kids to sleep you can enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of tea! Enjoy your own company or enjoy the wine or tea with your spouse, This way you can have some time together!

20. Do A Brain Dump

For a mom it’s very common to get overwhelmed by the work – taking care of your kids- managing household chores plus office work -if you’re a working mom! And often your brain won’t shut up when you’re trying to get relaxed ! It keeps you reminding about alllll the to-do things, your deadlines, appointments, and what not!!!

So take a pen and just dump alll those thoughts on a paper!! It’s that easy!!

Write down all your to-do things, appointments, deadlines, goals and any other random thoughts- just brain dump everything! It’s a good self care activity and you’ll definitely feel better after doing it.

21. Write Down Your Goals

If you already have goals but keep forgetting them and you are loosing yourself in your everyday routine then writing down your goals can help you to look at your days with a different perspective and more enthusiasm.

Writing down your goals can help you prioritize your tasks and plan your days! That means you become more productive while you are having a break!

22. Take A 20- Minute Shower

We moms never get more than 5 mins in that bathroom just for ourselves! So hand over your kids to your husband and take a looong 20 mins shower or soak yourself in a hot tub and enjoy!

you can also enjoy a long shower when your kids are napping!

23. Laugh

Laughing can set your mood on a good track for rest of the day!

Watch a funny movie or your favorite comedy show or read a comedy book and have some laugh!!

24. Read Or Listen Something Uplifting

Reading something uplifting can inspire you and help your mind to be ready for next challenges of your day. Read an inspiring story or biography or listen to inspiring podcasts and set your mind to tackle your day!

25. Color

Coloring is not only for kids! It’s a good therapy for your mind to get relaxed. So try coloring.

There are also some coloring apps available. Do it any way, just remember that it needs to make you feel relaxed! If a mobile app is causing strain on your eyes then switch to paper and pencils.

26. Meditate

Meditation is a great way of self care. Even if you have 5 mins in your hand, you can sit sown and meditate. It helps both your body and mind to calm down and make you feel relaxed, fresh and energized!

27. Go For A Vacation

Get a weekend off from work (even if you are SAHM, you can put your everyday work on hold for a weekend) , and enjoy a vacation with your family and friends! Don’t worry about work, you can manage everything once you’re back. But moms you need to have a good break and enjoy some good long time.

So, take a long break (a few days) and explore other places and create memories with your children and family and friends! What can be more rejuvenating than this??

I hope you found some good options that are suitable for you to treat yourself. It was a long list wasn’t it? so, here’s a recap of the list so you can go through the options again without scrolling through this long post.

Read
Go for a walk
Listen some music
Call a friend
Work out
Meet up with friends
Go on a date with your spouse
Get a massage
Create something
Follow your passion/hobby
Get ready
Enjoy some solitude
Shop something for you
Eat something (Healthy)
Pamper yourself
Set some goals/ start something new
Drink more water
Write a journal
Have a glass of wine or a cup of tea
Do a brain dump
Write down your goals
Take a 20-min shower
Laugh
Read or listen something uplifting
Color
Meditate
Go for a vacation

So, which self care idea are you going to try in your next break? Do you have any ideas of self care other than those listed above? I would definitely like to know them and would love to try!!

Leave your ideas in the comments below and let me know what you think about the ideas in my list.