Five Tips for Taking Care of Yourself as a Mom

You know when you are on an airplane, and before takeoff, the flight attendants demonstrate how to put on the oxygen masks? Do you remember how they tell you to put your oxygen mask on before you help anyone else with theirs? Because you can’t help someone else if you’re suffocating, riiight?! Well, this is a lot like being a mom in a way. In order to be a good mom, you have to take care of yourself first. It’s something I never really thought of when I first became a mom. I was just busy learning to be a new mom, feeding my newborn, changing her diapers, trying to figure out why she wouldn’t stop crying, and everything else you do as a new parent. It’s hard. And sometimes, you just don’t think about yourself. That’s bad. Because taking care of yourself makes you a better mom, it rejuvenates you, gives you time to think about yourself, and gives you an out.

Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to be some extravagant event -although that would be fun from time to time- just getting time for you will be enough to recharge your batteries. If you’re in need of ideas to help you improve your self-care take a few of my tips to mind.

Get Ready for The Day: Do this while your kids are awake or asleep it doesn’t matter, but do it. Make yourself feel pretty. When I first became a mom I found how important this was for my sanity. I needed to feel human, and for me, feeling human meant that I needed to be ready for the day. Make it a routine and see how much better you feel.

Go Out With Friends: Finding time out of the house -without your kids- it something that every mom needs. A moment to step away from the stress and the business, and to focus on yourself. I love having froyo nights with my girlfriends -who are also moms so they totally know what I am going through. Just finding time to be yourself again, who you were before you had kids, is a good thing. Finding those nice moments where you don’t have to worry if your toddler will throw a tantrum or if your baby will have explosive diarrhea.

Organize Your Time: I have a planner and a journal. My planner helps me remember the things I am making for dinner and it also helps me remember what my “chore” is for that day -not that I always get to it. My journal is my to-do list. I make a list weekly/when-I-remember-to-write-something-down-that-I-need-to-do. It helps me remember the things that I would like to accomplish that week and helps me stay organized. If one thing is certain, we all know that mom brain is real and we can only remember so much in our lives.

Live Healthily: Drink water and feed your body good food. You deserve it. You work hard all day and you and your body deserve to be healthy. Sure you will often find me snacking on junk food -see above pictures- and eating way too much chocolate, but my body always feels better when I eat something healthy. This also goes for drinking water. I love water. It’s so good for your body and really helps give you energy. Did you also know that drinking water can help you lose weight?!

Decompress When the Day is Over: Before you go to bed find some time to just sit back and relax. Maybe watch a favorite show, read the new book you borrowed from the library. Do this every day for yourself and for your kids. give yourself some time to just veg. If the laundry is piling up don’t worry about it, it will be there tomorrow. And tomorrow, when you tackle it, you’ll be happy you took care of yourself first.

What are your favorite ways to take care of yourself as a mom? In what ways have you seen a change in your life/children’s lives when you take care of yourself first?

I challenge you all to find time every day to take care of you and to make you a priority for once, not in a selfish way, but in a way that makes you feel ready to tackle your day.

pictures by: Lauren Iwen Photography

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Comments

Pooja Sharma says
May 10, 2017 at 3:25 pm

Getting ready for the day makes you feel so good. It really is something I recommend and do too.
The Crocheting Mom says
May 10, 2017 at 3:30 pm

It's so important to do a few things for ourselves as moms. We're important too and we need to keep remembering that!
Shann Eva says
May 10, 2017 at 4:59 pm

Yes! So important to take care of ourselves as mothers. It's often the last thing on our mind, but feeling good makes you a better mom too. It's also great to set an example to you kids.
Samantha // Momma Wants Java says
May 10, 2017 at 6:45 pm

Yes to all of this!!! There is a huge difference in my day when I get up and get dressed vs. rolling out of bed at the same time as the kids. And getting organized with my bullet journal was also a huge game-changer for me.
ArmidasWorld says
May 10, 2017 at 7:12 pm

Great tips! As a mom I feel that taking care of ourselves is extremely important because we're the ones that keep the sanity in place lol
Pooja Krishna says
May 11, 2017 at 1:54 am

Motherhood can be a guilt inspiring thing for many. So 'me time' for the important, and the fun stuff is an absolute essential – well said!
Shani Ogden says
May 11, 2017 at 4:34 am

Yes! I love this so much. I am definitely a better mom when I'm able to take time away from my kids and step out of my "mom role" for a short time.
Amanda Rinehart says
May 11, 2017 at 5:09 am

YES! Moms especially need to make sure to take care of themselves. It definitely makes us better at caring for our littles.