How to Find Time for Self-Care Activities as a Busy Mom

67 Shares

Find time for self-care activities, no matter how busy you are!

As a mom, you already have so much on your plate.

And now, in 2020, there’s the added stress of homeschooling on top of the need to keep your family safe and healthy. The struggle is real and definitely stressful!

Finding time for self-care activities is one of the best things you can do for yourself as a mom.

It’s essential that you fill your own cup so you can be the very best version of yourself during a time when your family needs you the most.

But how can you find time for self-care activities when you barely have time to homeschool your kids?

Let’s get right into it!

START WITH THE ROUTINES YOU ALREADY HAVE IN YOUR DAY

We’re going to focus on self-care activities that are 5-minutes or less because it’s doable! Everyone can find time for a couple of minutes!

So start thinking about the personal routines you already have throughout your day.

The few minutes you spend when you first get out of bed, or the sequence of events you follow before you go to sleep at night…

How can you incorporate 5 minutes of self-care into these times of the day?

For example, When I first wake up, I used to putter to the kitchen, dragging my feet with my eyes half-closed. But now, as soon as my feet hit the floor, I spend a couple of minutes stretching. And it has helped me so much! Not only do I wake up a hell of a lot easier, but I no longer feel like a 70-year old woman trying to walk to the kitchen in the morning. 😄

If it helps, run through your daily routines in your head and think about each and every task that you do throughout the day.

– Send a quick text to your friend while you’re eating breakfast.

– Spend a few minutes journaling while your kids are doing their schoolwork.

– Have your kids play outside after lunch so you can enjoy a few pages of a book.

– Dance while you’re cleaning!!

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to incorporating self-care activities into your daily routine.

When you find something that works, stick with it! If you really enjoy reading while your kids play outside, make it a part of your everyday routine.

RECONSIDER YOUR TV AND SOCIAL MEDIA USE

If you really want to find time for some self-care activities, the best place to look is in the time you’re already spending.

As a mom of 4 who struggles with irritability, I know that TV and social media has its benefits! At the end of a long day, scrolling your feed or getting lost in your favorite show is awfully tempting.

But the truth is that TV and social media don’t really help you take care of yourself, which is what self-care is all about.

So take a good luck at where you’re currently spending your time and be honest with yourself!

Now, I’m not saying to stop using social media altogether! I’m just suggesting that you weigh the two options heavily the next time you’re faced with a choice.

Make the decision to put your happiness above your need for entertainment; I guarantee you won’t regret it.

SCHEDULE IN A FEW SELF-CARE ACTIVITIES

Okay, so you’ve taken into account the routines you already have and you’ve reevaluated where you’re currently spending your time.

Now you’re ready to schedule in some self-care activities!

Remember, this doesn’t have to be a 2-hour trip to the spa! When you’re first getting started, you want to focus on 5 minutes at a time.

So pull out your planner, your printable calendar, or your phone and schedule a few self-care activities throughout your day!

Here is a picture of my actual planner during social distancing/virtual learning.

Most of what you’ll see scheduled here include household tasks, blogging related tasks, and homeschool activities. It took me quite a few weeks to come up with a schedule that works for my 3 school-aged kids, while also taking into consideration my 3-year old’s quiet time and the fact that I am trying to grow this blog.

Start with the non-negotiables

First, I add in all of the non-negotiable activities that we have going on during the week, such as appointments, Zoom calls, meal times, and quiet times.

Next, schedule household tasks and distance learning

Since distance learning is taking up most of our time these days, I make sure to include plenty of time for schoolwork activities. I also schedule in 2-3 household tasks throughout the week.

And finally, plan for some self-care!

Once you have the bulk of your schedule planned, you will have a good idea of where you can fit in some self-care activities.

Using my schedule as an example, I could see that I had plenty of empty space on Saturday and Sunday. After adding in some family time, I decided to block off Sunday morning for most of my self-care.

I also planned for a few minutes to myself on Thursday night because that’s the one day of the week when I don’t cook dinner. And since my family is usually pretty relaxed on Sunday evenings, I threw in one more block of time, just for good measure.

You might notice that most of my self-care activities take place towards the end of the week. Since my husband works M-Th, I try to focus on most of our schoolwork and household tasks during those days. This makes it easy for me to relax when he’s home on the weekends. 😉

TELL YOUR FAMILY

Once you’ve made a commitment to practice self-care, go ahead and tell your family about your plans.

By letting your family know that you are going to focus on yourself a few minutes a day, you lessen the chance of interruptions.

Otherwise, your kids might come barging in, pretending to be ghosts with blankets over their heads. (No? Maybe that’s just my kids. 😂)

Explain to your family why self-care is important to you

If your kids are old enough, tell them that taking care of yourself helps you to be a better mom.

Tell them what will be different

Are you going to try to wake up earlier? Or maybe you’re going to spend a few minutes to yourself 1-2 nights a week?

If you need support from your family to make this happen, let them know in advance!

HERE’S WHAT TO DO NEXT

Here’s how you can find time for some self-care activities even as a busy mom:

Start with the routines you already have

Look for small windows of time during your day. Think about each and every task that you do and figure out how you can fit in 5-minutes of self-care activities here and there.

Make self-care a priority

Consider spending less time watching TV and scrolling through social media. Even if you just switch it up for a few weeks, it can a big impact on your mood!

Schedule a few self-care activities in your planner/calendar

Look for empty space on your planner/calendar. If there are certain times of the week when you don’t have anything planned, jump on it!

If it’s not planned, you likely may end up turning on the TV instead of focusing on yourself.

Tell your family about your plans

Let them know what you need from them. And set boundaries so they aren’t barging in your door unexpectedly!

How to Find Time for Self-Care Activities as a Busy Mom

Related Post: 6 Ways to Focus on Yourself