Why is Self-Care Critical For Moms?

When a mom doesn’t take care of herself she won’t be happy or healthy.

Moms need to be happy! And being a stay-at-home mom can be very lonely. Many moms who choose to stay at home with their children often say they feel as if they have lost their identity.

For working moms, it’s hard because they hardly see their families and often feel overworked and tired.

It’s because of everything that a mother does to take care of her family and put them first that they forget to take care of themselves which can lead to more stress and depression. And parenting while dealing with depression isn’t good for anybody.

In our home we have a few different special needs going on along with typical parenting struggles. One of the biggest hurdles being high-functioning autism, which my two children and I are all diagnosed with. And the second is my daughter’s ADHD which keeps her going all day and night long.

Being an autism mom often makes my life very difficult and I have to muster up more and more patience to be able to get through each and every day. So having some time for myself and actually using that time for me and only me is a necessity.

Every mom deserves some time out time to regroup. I once heard that being a mom was like having a car with the check engine light on. You don’t take the car in until it finally breaks down. And that is truly how many moms treat themselves. We need to remember that to be at our best we have to check our engines(haha).

Here are 25 relaxing self-care ideas that will help moms to recharge their batteries and parent even better.

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1. Go Out By Yourself

Okay, we all know that there are times where we have to take our kids out with us – whether it be to the grocery store or out on another errand. And those times are certainly not as fun or as quiet as being by yourself.

So when your husband is home and you need to run out for a bit, leave the kids with him. This will not only give you some much-needed mommy time but will also give the kids some alone time with dad.

Trust me! This may not sound like a lot but having a quiet car ride without any bickering about who touched whom or having to buckle and unbuckle kids in their car seats makes such a difference.

And if you have nowhere to go, just go window shopping.

2. Take a Relaxing Hot Bath or Shower

Okay, there is nothing in this world like having a relaxing bath or shower. It’s just such an easy to get your body relaxed and clean at the same time. I especially love to add a bit of Epsom salt and a few drops of lavender essential oils to my bath water to help me feel calm.

3. Exercise

Many moms forget to take time for caring for their bodies and I am certainly one of them. Staying healthy helps you to be a healthier mom for your kids. It also makes a great example of staying active so your kiddos will learn to do the same.

Whether you like doing a bit of yoga at home, going to the gym, or walking around your neighborhood, getting some cardio in helps your serotonin to rise which is your happy hormone. So more happy hormones mean more happy mommy days.

4. Crank Up Your Favorite Tunes

This is one of my favorite ways to deal with stress when I am overwhelmed and if you do not do this you have to try it.

I love music! I mean love it. For me, music has a way of bringing out those trapped emotions and getting me moving. When I am stressed, I always have a song that will pick me up in whatever mood I am in.

One way that I use music to help me get through the day is when my kids are arguing in the back seat about who touched whom, or why they didn’t get to choose the next song playing on the radio. On these particular days, I like to choose one song that really makes me happy – (most of the time it’s pop or 80’s music) and turn it up and start singing over their arguing.

Another time that I love to have my favorite music playing is when I need the motivation to clean something. Just having the uplifting music playing while I dance around the house cleaning helps me to feel much better about the chores that I have to get done.

5. Make Yourself a Sweet Treat

Sometimes mom needs a treat for herself.

Whether it’s an ice cream sundae or a delicious chocolate chip cookie – treat yourself. You deserve to have a little something for all of your hard work.

6. Feed and Nurture Your Body

It wasn’t until recently that I finally started taking care of my body, but not that I have I’ve noticed a huge change in me. About a year ago I noticed I was having some major gut issues and was horribly fatigued.

Like falling asleep taking my daughter to school tired. I knew that something wasn’t right and I needed a solution.

Once I finally started taking my nutrition seriously I found some really wonderful ways to support my gut issues, energy levels, and just feel healthier. It all started with essential oils. Now that I have been using them in my life daily, I feel so much better.

7. Make Time for Mommy Friends

It’s important to have friends in your life that understand you and what you are going through as a mom and that’s why other mommy friends are the perfect friend to have.

Just having another mom that is going through all of the same hurdles and is there to listen when you need the most helps a ton. And being able to go out on a girl’s night or lunch together helps you to recharge your mommy batteries and get some time talking with adults.

For me personally, as an autism mom, I have a few friends that are moms of typical kids and some that have children with autism. Having a good balance of both is great for me and lets me have the best of both worlds.

8. Get Some Sleep

Sleep? What’s that?

No really. We need to sleep. I know that I am certainly not the best at getting enough sleep but I am working on it hard.

My biggest problem is that once my kids go to bed, I want to try to get everything cleaned or all of my tasks done. It’s just impossible to get some of these things done with them awake. But then I find myself staying up past midnight folding laundry and being exhausted the next morning.

So I have been making some changes in my nightly habits to help myself go to sleep and get some much-needed rest. Because if mommy is tired, it’s going to be a rough day.

9. Get Your Nails Done

Pampering yourself is one of the most wonderfully relaxing self-care ideas. Having someone else massaging your hands and feet before making your nails look pretty is so much fun.

But you don’t have to go to a fancy nail salon to get this done. If you want to save some money, you can certainly set up your own little spa at home and give yourself a mani and pedi.

10. Write a Daily Gratitude List

When you are down in the dumps, we often forget about all of the good things in our life that we need to be thankful for.

That’s why writing them down and taking time to remember the good things that are happening around us can be very uplifting.

11. Schedule Self-Care

While I have always known that getting medical healthcare for myself was important, I often pushed it off because I was so incredibly busy as a wife and mother. Of course, I always made sure to take care of myself and get medical care when I was pregnant with my babies but other than that I would go years without seeing a doctor.

And then things started happening to where I had no choice but to seek help.

For example, one of my wisdom teeth started breaking randomly. It was very weird. I mean we knew from the time I was a teenager that I needed my wisdom teeth would need to come out since they were growing in sideways and I didn’t have enough room for them, but I didn’t have insurance so I put it off for years.

Until a few weeks after one of the teeth started breaking and I found out that it was infected. I had to get them all removed and let me tell you it was not easy.

But the point is that I let things go for so long until they could have landed me in a lot worse condition. That’s why when getting my daughter evaluated for autism, I decided to also get myself evaluated. I had suffered so much with depression and anxiety and never would have known that I have autism without taking the steps to take care of me.

12. Read a Book that You’ve Been Putting Off

Do you love sitting down and getting immersed in a really good book? I am very picky about what books I read but when I find one that I cannot put down, I am hooked.

Take some time and read your favorite book or a book that you’ve been meaning to read for a while. Even just a chapter each day will help you feel like you’ve done a little something for yourself.

13. Take a Nap

Like I said sleep is important. But there are still some days where I just need a nap.

But on those days I am often arguing with myself about all of the chores that I could be getting down when my toddler is down for his daily nap. And I have to remind myself that if my body says I need a nap then I’d better listen to it.

14. Get a Massage

Who does not love getting a massage?

I personally love when my husband massages my feet after a long day. I often feel so sore on my calves and ankles from chasing my kids. So even if you don’t fork out the dough to get a professional massage, getting one from your hubby can be just as good.

15. Get Creative

Do you love being creative? I do. Even as a child, I loved writing poems and drawing in my sketchbook. But one hobby that I have taken up recently is watercolor painting.

Watercolor painting is super cheap to start and is relaxing after a long day. I especially love to paint flowers because they look so beautiful with watercolor paint.

Taking just a few minutes to do something creative helps a ton with feeling relaxed and accomplished. So whether you like scrapbooking, sewing, crocheting. or something completely different making something helps you to feel good about yourself and what you’ve created.

16. Don’t Forget to Beautify Yourself Every Day

It becomes a routine once you have children that are in school to get them dressed and doing their hair to make them look presentable, but once we are married with kids, we as moms forget to make ourselves look nice and presentable. For example, the messy bun and sunglasses become our go-to look for carpool drop off.

Yep, that’s been me. But recently I have found that getting myself looking pretty in the morning really helps me to feel put together and ready to take on the day.

17. Keep a Journal to Write About Your Feelings

Journaling is one of the most powerful ways to let your emotions out. By putting words down on paper it’s almost like talking to someone that will absorb everything you say.

I personally have journaled many times and found that is was beneficial for keeping my sanity. This is my favorite bullet journal.

18. Watch Your Favorite Movie or TV Show

So I have a problem. I cannot just watch a single episode of a new tv show each week. It just does not work for me. I have to binge-watch.

And now I have found that when I am really stressed or overwhelmed that binge-watching my favorite tv show helps me a ton. I am not sure why but it really helps me to feel better afterward.

Or if you have a favorite movie that you love, watch it and relax.

19. Buy a Special Gift for Yourself

Once again moms don’t really think about themselves first. It’s always “My daughter needs some new shoes” or “we need this for the house.” Getting somethi8ng for ourselves doesn’t happen that often.

So go out and get a little gift just for you. It doesn’t’ have to be huge but a little something that you have been wanting and will make you feel good will do the trick.

20. Go on a Date with Your Husband

So you do not have to have your recharge time alone. Sometimes dads feel a little stressed too and would love to get away for a few hours.

My husband and I love to go out for special occasions (kid-free) when we can. And on the nights that we can’t cuddle up together and watching a movie is just as good.

Why You Should Date Your Husband After Getting Married

21. Sleep In

What is sleeping in? Do you feel like this too? My kids do not know what sleeping in is. Even on the weekend, they are up at the crack of dawn.

Recently though my husband and I have been able to sleep in a little bit by letting them play in their rooms until it’s time to get up. We like it to be at least daylight before they can come to awaken us.

22. Play a Game

Was there a time where you just love to play games – before kids?

I did. I love playing the older games though and haven’t found much else that compares. But when I do have the chance to sit down and play I love doing it by myself.

23. Declutter or Rearrange a Space in Your Home

I love decluttering. Doesn’t everyone feel better when they’ve decluttered and gotten rid of a ton of unnecessary junk?

Do you have a closet that just needs to be emptied out and reorganized? If so, take an hour by yourself and really try to clean it out and get it completely functional for you. Not only will you feel better, but your house will run better.

24. Learn a New Skill

Have you been dying to learn a new skill? I love to learn new things to help me with my work and my everyday life. And with so many different things online, you can literally learn just about anything from your home with a computer or smartphone.

25. Take Time for Prayer

We often get so busy reminding our children to say their prayers before meals and at bedtime that we forget to take time to kneel down and pray by ourselves.

Taking that time mentally and spiritually to pray and reflect helps moms to remember their purpose in life as wives, mothers, and children of God. Make time for prayer.

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