As a busy mom of 3, with my own business, and with an overseas adventure coming up, I have lots of reasons that self-care could end up on the back burner. And although I slip every once and a while (hey, I’m human!), I can tell you that I’ve become pretty good in making sure to take care of myself! Because when I’m taking good care of myself, I’m a much better mom!

Self-care is something women in general can work on. For moms? Putting ourselves in last place is pretty common practice. Everyone else has needs that “need” to be met first and usually we’re too tired at the end of the day to invest in ourselves. 

Here’s a newsflash for you (although I’m pretty sure you already know this)…taking care of yourself doesn’t HAVE to be a full-day getaway or take up a lot of time…although those moments are nice too! When we make the “big” getaways or treats the only way we can REALLY take care of ourselves, our self-care ends up being too much, and at best we do things inconsistently and infrequently. The reality is though, investing in and taking care of yourself can be done in just a few minutes!

If you are one of those moms that doesn’t create enough time to take care of yourself (which I’m guessing you are since you’re reading this), let me give you some ideas to start doing it!

As with anything – start from where you are now and work your way up to a goal/ideal situation that works for you! So if you never do anything for yourself, you could do one of these things, say once a week. If you’re already doing things, just inconsistently, try to build a daily habit. Whatever makes you happy and fulfilled though, because you’re not doing this for anyone else than yourself!

To get you inspired and to take away some of those excuses (it takes too much time, it’s too expensive etc etc), here are my 9 quick self-care tips. All of these take 15 minutes (or less).

Oh, and for those of you who still don’t think you have the time to take care of yourself…check your screen time usage every day 😅

Important: make sure to ask for support so you can do this on a regular basis! If I say leave or go to a quiet spot, this doesn’t imply that you should leave little ones unattended! If you really have no other choice than to be in the same space with them, make use of the start of a nap, self-play activity or a few minutes of screen time to facilitate you having those few minutes to recharge in your chosen way!

  1. Read
    Go to a quiet spot, or pop out and sit on a bench outside with that book, magazine or blog you’ve been meaning to read, and start. Just a few minutes of reading can have an incredibly relaxing and inspirational effect. 
  2. Drink
    A hot cup of tea, coffee, whatever your warm beverage of choice is. Put on that coffee machine, or boil some water. Create your hot beverage of choice. Sit down, and drink it while it’s hot! You can combine this with #1 or just enjoy it by itself. This is one I had no idea was such a luxury until after having kids. 
  3. Walk
    Pop out and take a few minutes to just move. No need to power walk or do squats, although if that’s your thing, by all means, don’t let me hold you back! The point here though is to move your body and get some fresh air. Besides being a state change, movement and oxygen are good for you on so many levels, physical and mental. If you have/can create the space, by all means, go for longer, but making this a regular practice or doable trumps more time here. 
  4. Talk
    Just pick up your phone and call a friend who you haven’t talked to in a while. This can be both energizing and therapeutic, plus your friend will probably be super happy you called!
  5. Treat your face
    To a mask. Wet your face, apply a mask, let it sit for a few minutes, and voila! To set yourself up for success on this one, pick up a facial mask next time you’re at the pharmacy/drugstore. Tight on money, want to be spontaneous or want to know exactly what you’re putting on your face? You can always make your own!
  6. Treat your body
    To a scrub! Again, like in treating your face, make sure to have something in the house, or even better in the shower waiting for you. The more you see it sitting there, the more you’re likely to use it! Just add a minute or two to your regular shower routine, or plan in a longer one so you can be sure to make it happen! Afterward your skin will feel silky smooth and you’ll feel pampered in no time at all. 
  7. Treat your nails
    We may not have time to go and get full-on manicures/pedicures as often as we like it but taking just a few minutes to sit down and throw a layer of color on our nails can already make a real difference in how you feel! Seriously though, I’ve timed it, and I can do a base coat, color, and top coat on my hands and feet in under 15 minutes. And I’m not a professional 😉
  8. Treat your feet
    To a rub! Our feet carry us around all day every day. Seriously…until you can’t use them (like I had when I broke my foot), you don’t appreciate everything these babies do for you. Have a seat, grab a tootsie, and rub for a few minutes. Then switch. If your partner is around, ask them to jump in and do it for you 😇
  9. Treat your skin
    And moisturize it. I’m sure you’ve got some lotion in the house. If you don’t, like with your face/body, this is an easy thing to fix. Like with a facial mask and scrubs you can also make your own. Don’t overthink it, or do endless research as to which is the best to use. A quick internet scan and testing on a bit of your skin to make sure you’re not allergic is already fine. This pampering also just takes a few minutes to complete and can have a great effect on your mood and feeling of self-worth. 

If you’re struggling to make self-care actually happen or just want someone to support you, reach out and schedule a session with me. I’d love to help!


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