How do you take care of yourself as a mom? Here are 15 self-care tips for moms, so you don’t get burned out & feel overwhelmed.

Taking time for yourself as a mom can be a huge challenge when you’re constantly busy caring for your kids & home.

As a busy mom & stepmom of 4 kids total, believe me, I get it. But it is possible to take care of yourself and your family at the same time.

Below are 15 ways to start implementing self care at home today, most of which can be done in a matter of minutes.

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How to Take Care of Yourself as a Mom

Physically:

1.) Wash up daily.

Every day, take a shower or bath, wash your face, put on deodorant, moisturize your skin, etc.

As a mom of 4 kids, I understand that it’s hard to find time to do this some days.

If you’re a stay-at-home mom, making time to care for your needs can be challenging because there are always other things to do. Managing your time at home can be a challenge.

If you’re a working mom, you may feel bombarded as soon as you get home.

But you have to make time for self care as a busy mom.

The same way you make time to run to the bathroom when you have to go, you have to make time to get yourself cleaned up.

2.) Make sure your hair is taken care of.

You may not have to wash or even style your hair every day, (depending on your hair type & styles you choose.)

But at least make sure it looks presentable, whatever that means for your hair type & the styles you wear it in.

My hair is naturally super curly, (although I straighten it sometimes,) but most of the time I keep it curly and simply use a leave-in conditioner spray (such as this one,) to refresh my curls and untangle my hair with my fingers on days I don’t wash it or fully wet it down.

Everyone’s hair is different, so find products and hair care techniques that work with your personal hair type and won’t take too much time from your day as a busy mom.

Even when I put my hair up, or top it off with a hat or scarf, which I often do, the feeling of knowing my hair is done and looks presentable affects my mood and self-esteem. For me personally, it adds to the feeling of being clean and productive, just as washing up daily does too.

3.) Brush your teeth & practice good oral hygiene.

Practice good oral hygiene, and brush your teeth in the evening before it gets too late and you’re too exhausted to do anything but plop on your bed.

After I had one of my babies, I would sometimes crash & fall asleep before brushing my teeth at night.

This had a negative effect on my teeth. So now, I make sure I take care of my teeth early enough before bed.

4.) Put on clothes you feel good in.

You’ve likely heard that you should get dressed every day, including the days you stay home. Science has shown that what you wear can affect your productivity and how well you focus.

Choose clothing you also feel good in. As in, clothes that not only make you feel productive, but also that you feel physically comfortable in and flatter you.

5.) Get enough sleep & be consistent in your sleeping routine.

Trying to do everything you need to do as a mom will do nothing but exhaust you if you are lacking sleep.

Have a set bedtime and time to wake up. You’ll have to base this on how your body personally functions, as well as what your schedule allows for.

Getting your kids to sleep on time can also help you to be consistent with your sleep.

I have always considered myself to not be a morning person.

The fact is, though, when I get up early, I actually have more energy throughout the day and I’m more productive.

But in order to be able to thrive getting up early, I can’t be going to bed at 2am every night.

So go to bed and get up at reasonable times that will allow you to get your sleep and be the most productive during the day.

6.) Take time to eat & drink enough water.

Whenever possible, sit down when it’s time to eat your meals, and relax and enjoy your food.

I personally like to block out an hour for eating lunch & dinner.

While I can’t usually use the entire hour to eat because I’m also reheating/getting food for my other family members, blocking out that time does give me a chance to slow down and replenish my energy.

7.)  Make appointments for yourself when you need them.

As a mom, it can be easy to focus on your children’s checkups and dental appointments.

But what about you?

When was the last time you saw your primary doctor, got any needed testing done, went to the dentist, or got a chiropractic adjustment?

Personally, I have to go to the chiropractor every month because my spine will move out of place and need adjusting. I cannot imagine having to care for 4 kids and nurse and clean the house if I didn’t do this.

The health & dental care you need will be unique to your personal situation, but don’t put off something that is going to have a negative effect on you if you procrastinate.

8.) Stick to a good schedule.

If you’re struggling with practicing self-care, this could be an indication you are not managing your time as well as you could. Making an adaptable daily schedule will help.

I designed a free printable tool to help busy moms design a weekly sample schedule to fit in all of the important & necessary & relaxing tasks in life.

✅Download our free sample schedule worksheets here. (The pages included give step-by-step instructions for how to best use these and come up with a flexible schedule.)

After making out a sample schedule, I also like using a monthly, weekly, & daily physical planner to keep track of my schedule.

For a great-quality physical planner, I love the Living Well Planner.

✅Use our referral link to get $5 off here in the Living Well Shop on the Living Well Planner.

9.) Exercise regularly.

Studies have shown exercise has many physical & mental benefits.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine cites such benefits as increased energy, less fatigue, and stress relief.

Exercise doesn’t have to be boring. I have friends who are moms who used to get together and practice line dances for exercise.

And I actually just started dancing for exercise using videos from this YouTube channel. I’m a terrible dancer, but it’s good exercise and it’s fun and relaxing for me.

Spiritually, Mentally, & Emotionally

While I don’t write about spiritual/religious topics on this website, I personally feel it is important as a mom, (and as a follower of Christ,) to take care of yourself spiritually too.

Daily Bible reading & prayer, (among other things,) have had a positive effect on my own life & self-care, so I’m mentioning this here.

10.) Keep a journal.

If you’re stressed out, journaling can help you destress. It can also help you reflect on positive thoughts and things you’re grateful for.

As a busy mom, sometimes it can be hard to even find time to think, so writing can help you to sort out your thoughts.

11.) Read something you enjoy.

Reading has been scientifically proven to relax you, among other benefits.

When I read for fun, I may read classics, (such as my favorite book by Jane Austen.)

Alternatively, I’ll sometimes listen to an audiobook.

12.) Don’t overdo it with stressful news & social media.

After you have a general idea of what’s going on in the world and with people you know, switch off the TV & resist the urge to aimlessly scroll social media.

Not only are these times a time-suck, they can easily have a negative effect on your mood. That, in turn, can drain your energy & motivation.

13.) Do simple things you enjoy.

If you’re a stay at home mom, you may feel it’s a challenge to find fun self-care ideas you can do at home.

But enjoyable self-care doesn’t have to be extravagant.

There are plenty of simple things to do at home that will add a little joy to your day.

In addition to other ideas mentioned in this post, some simple things that bring me joy are a cup of coffee, making a chocolate mug cake, and coloring in an adult coloring book.

14.) Stay close to friends & family.

Even when you can’t spend time with loved ones in person, you can message or call a friend. Having a good laugh or vent can do a lot for your spirits.

Other people can take my mind off of myself. But talking with others also encourages me to deal with stressful situations I’m going through.

15.) Rest up. 

Make sure you’re taking at least small breaks each day & consider taking a day off each week (for anything that can wait a day, so you get a break.)

Personally, I always rest the last day of each week and don’t clean or do any unnecessary tasks that day.

While our family recently started resting the last day of the week for spiritual reasons, for many years I was ‘incidentally’ resting for one day on the weekend anyways.

When I wasn’t intentionally resting on any day, I’d burn myself out every week and by the end of the week I would be EXHAUSTED and crash.

I had no energy to clean or cook, and it was hard to get myself back together the next day.

But what happened once I started to intentionally rest up the last day of each week?

I actually got to benefit from the rest because I didn’t feel guilty, I have been less exhausted the other 6 days of the week, and my house actually gets less messy on the day we rest than it did when we would clean that day.

So those are 15 ways to practice self-care as a mom. You may have a lot on your plate, but by taking care of yourself, you will be better able to carry that plate.

✅P.S. Download our FREE Printable Sample Schedule Worksheets before you go. These will help you organize your days and weeks in a way that maximizes your productivity & self-care.

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