Are you a homemaker or a working mom trying to find time for self care? Or are you burnout and not sure what to do with the little time you have? Then this list of self care ideas for moms is for you to help you find balance again.
With all the demands that come with being a mother, self care is sometimes not a priority or usually non-existent.
But if you want to avoid burnout and make time to pour into yourself before you give into your family’s demands, then you will love these 15 minute self care ideas for women.
These emotional self care ideas, physical self care ideas and spiritual self care ideas require about 15 mins of your time and will leave you feeling charged.
Like most women, I never had the time or made time for me, but after hitting my version of rock bottom, I knew I needed to change.
But you don’t have to hit burnout to want to make a change. With less than 15 minutes per day, you will begin to feel like yourself again.
It’s not what we do once in a while that takes our lives to the next level, it’s what we do consistently.
Terry Foy
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links and I may receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no cost to you. See full disclaimer.
What are self care activities?
Self care activities are worthwhile activities done with the intention of making us feel good about ourselves, and improve our mood and energy level.
This means taking care of your mental, physical and emotional self. These activities can help to reduce stress and promote productivity.
Self care is doing things that make you feel happy, fulfilled and balanced. So identify what that looks like for you. Then see how you can spend just a few minutes each day loving you.
Related
Quick Emotional self care ideas for women
While talking about mental health has become more normalized, finding the right help is not always accessible.
But there are tiny things we can do each day, like journaling or breathing exercises, that can have a tremendous impact on our mental health.
For example, the main things that kept me sane during my painful breakup are sticking to my morning routine and having time with God.
Now let’s explore emotional self care ideas for the busy, overwhelmed moms.
- Sit and observe your thoughts – don’t interact with it, just observe it. Notice what comes up.
- How does it make you feel?
- What is that emotion telling you?
- If it’s a negative emotion, what techniques can help you make peace with it?
- Daily journal – Journaling is a great way to reflect on your daily thoughts and identify your triggers.
- Not sure what to journal about, then try our 365 journal prompts for mental health printable or our self-love journal prompts post. This is a good starting point for those who want to journal, but are not sure where to start.
Related: Self-Discovery Questions For Personal Growth to Change Your Life
365 Journal Prompts PDF
365 Journal prompts to get you started with journal for mental health.
- Spend time in prayer
- Listen to motivational messages
- Deep breathing technique
- Sit outside alone
- Meditation
- Sit in a quiet place and focus on your breathing. When negative judgmental thoughts come up, don’t interact, just observe and bring your attention back to your breathing.
Related: Meditation Benefits: Why Is Meditation Important?
- Read a few pages
- Vent to someone – Find someone you trust, that will listen without judgment. Instead of trying to fix.
- Light a candle and just sit with yourself.
- Eat what you want – since self care is doing things that make you feel happy. Enjoy your favorite ice cream or chocolate bar. Because why not!
- Adult coloring pages. These are calming and take your mind off your problems and into the present. Find some on Etsy for immediate download here.
- Do a brain dump
- Call a friend who needs you
- Try aromatherapy
- Play sudoku
- Work on a creative project
- Say no to something or someone that doesn’t serve you.
- Acknowledge your gifts, strengths and potential.
- Listen to your body. It knows what it needs.
- Write a letter to yourself. Detailing what you’re proud of, what you forgive, what you plan on changing to become a better you, etc.
- Recite positive affirmations. Try these printable positive affirmation cards. They will put you in a good mood.
Printable Affirmation Cards PDF
64 positive affirmation cards printable.
- Lock yourself in a room
- This tip is especially helpful for stay home moms because sometimes we can become overwhelmed with kids and house work that we forget about ourselves.
- But if you can take a few minutes alone to just breathe, watch a cat video or whatever you enjoy, or maybe just allow the silence to dominate, this is enough to recharge.
- Express gratitude
- Find 5 things you are grateful for. Gratitude forces you to think about the positives and promotes positive thinking.
- Tell yourself how you love and appreciate you for all that you do for your family.
- Why wait for someone else to show appreciation to you? Appreciation should start with yourself, because if you can’t appreciate you, how can you expect others to?
- I learnt this from Mel Robbins, everyday look in the mirror, give yourself a high 5 and say I am amazing. I love you for… I appreciate you because… and remind yourself that you are doing the best you can.
- Cry, scream, whatever makes you feel better.
- Think about your wants and needs. Are they being met? What can you start or stop doing that will help you meet your needs?
- Make a list of what you think will make you happy. How can you meet that need?
- If we are really honest with ourselves, we see that we spend a lot of time being busy but not really doing anything productive. E.g. scrolling through your phone, watching too much tv, spending too much time gossiping…
- Try pomodoro technique. Learn more here.
- Take your supplements.
- Wake up 20 mins earlier to make time for you.
Quick Physical Self Care Ideas for moms
This next list of physical self care activities is not mandatory but is a great place to start. Some days it’s as simple as stretching for 5 mins and eating good food that makes me feel satisfied.
But other times it’s doing 30 mins cardio, journaling, staying hydrated and talking to someone that will make you feel whole again.
Learn to be more self aware and listen to your body to identify your needs, then meet them. One size doesn’t fit all.
- Brisk walk around the block.
- Go for a quick jog.
- Rehydrate your body. Hydration is not just necessary, but it is a form of self care.
- Eat good balanced food. Because your body deserves it.
Related: High Vibrational Foods List: To Feel Vibrant And Alive
- 15 mins flow yoga – YouTube has a library full of yoga videos to suit anyone’s needs. So there’s no excuse!
- Go to bed 15 mins early.
- Go swimming.
- Have sex.
- Tend to your plant babies.
- Savor a glass or wine.
- Chat with your neighbor.
- Take a shower and exfoliate your skin. You deserve it! A gentle scrub of the skin clearing away dead skin will leave your skin feeling smooth.
- Shave your legs.
- Mini facial. A face mask takes no time to apply.
- 15 mins cardio session.
- Play music and dance.
- Take a quick cold shower.
- Take a power nap.
- Clean out your phone.
- Drink a detoxing drink. My go to detox drink is lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and warm water. Must try!
- Make a filling smoothie.
- Indulge in a cheat meal.
- Full body stretch.
- Lay in the sun.
- Get dressed – like most busy mom’s PJs or sweats all day is accessible and comfortable. But did you know you will feel better when you actually get dressed, brush your hair and looking somewhat presentable? Try it!
- Sit down and have a proper meal.
- Do your hair. Sounds simple, but it goes a long way. On days when I make the time to comb my hair, I feel more polished and a sense of accomplishment.
- Soak your feet in warm water.
Self care Sunday ideas – Not so quick self care ideas for moms
And finally, self care Sunday ideas to reset for the week.
These are self care day ideas you can do Saturday or Sunday to reset your mental and physical health and get ready for the week ahead.
- Make yourself a detoxing green juice. Or juice a batch of fruit and vegetable juice for the week.
- Get your nails done – DIY or get it professionally done.
- Do a weekly reflection – reflect on your week to identify if you are progressing towards your goals. Identify your challenges, your wins, what you can keep doing or what you can change.
- Go out for Sunday brunch with someone you love. This will take more than 15 minutes, but it is totally worth it.
- Plan your week ahead. This is not necessarily a self care thing, but planning your week ahead will relieve the stress throughout the week. Well, as long as you stick to your schedule.
- Make Sundays your self care day. My self care days are Fridays, the best decision ever. Because I do whatever I feel like doing, eat whatever I want and I feel aligned and balanced. You should try it!
- Get a massage.
- Curl up on the couch and relax.
- Develop a skin care routine.
- Social media detox.
- Plan/organize your kids’ week of clothing. Trust me, doing this saves you time in the morning when getting them ready for school. Less stress for you = self love.
Final Thoughts on self care ideas for moms
Hope you enjoyed this fun list of self care ideas for women. These mental health self care ideas can take up to 20 mins per day and are totally worth it.
Even if it’s 5 mins per day, you deserve it. It’s important to make time to find yourself and fulfill your needs. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
