Five Practical Self-Care Ideas for Busy Moms
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and with all the lovely Hallmark-y things going on, I wanted to give a super realistic shout-out to the mom whose toddler pooped while you were at the library today and the one who forgot the stroller when she met a friend for a walk and the one who is basically besties with the Target drive-up person (I promise I’m not speaking from personal experience). You are showing up for your family 24/7, and you deserve the same care you’re offering your kids, so here are a handful of self-care ideas you can start today.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am all about those things you think of that stereotypically relate to self-care: getting your nails done or taking a hot bath or reading in bed with your favorite snacks at the end of the day. But this list is going to be a lot more practical than that. If our desire is to glorify God in our home, let’s start with a focus on true self-care over self-indulgence. Like, go buy a water bottle you like so that you’ll drink some water, okay? That’s not actually on this list, but it probably should be. 😉
We want things like a weekend away with our husband or an iced coffee or a bigger house, but the things we actually need, the things that will truly help us care for ourselves, simply require going back to the basics. Let’s spend time with Jesus and get enough sleep and live with handfuls of grace for ourselves, sound good?
As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Self-Care Idea #1: Keep Healthy Snacks on Hand
I won’t keep you waiting for my very best self-care idea for busy moms: If you’re offering something to your kids, offer it to yourself. It’s as simple as it sounds. Here’s what I mean. If your kids are taking a nap, maybe you need one too! If your kids need fresh air, maybe you do too. If your toddler needs to go potty, maybe you do too. If you’re offering your kids a snack, maybe you need a snack too! I know, this is elementary stuff, but when your attention is on meeting the needs of your kids, it’s easy to forget that you have the same, basic human needs, and it’s not selfish to meet them.
Which brings me to my first official tip, keep healthy snacks on hand. I don’t mean snacks for your kids - snacks for you! My sister introduced me a while ago to GoMacro bars, and they’ve become my new favorite (here’s a link to my favorite flavor, Everlasting Joy - and points for cutest name). They’re always in my bag or in our van because they are filling, delicious, and healthy.
My sister is dairy-free and sugar-free, and these are both! They’re sometimes as much as $3/bar, so it took me a bit to jump on the bandwagon until a) I found a store that usually has them on sale, and b) I realized I was worth it. I buy snacks for Henry all. the. time. Never worrying about the cost and always worrying about the nutrition, and I decided I was worth the same care. And so are you, my friend.
Maybe you’re less high-maintenance than me. If bananas will cut it for you, you’re my inspiration. Turns out I actually hate bananas, and my favorite food is chocolate chip cookies, so it’s worth it for me to spend a little extra on something I’ll enjoy and that fuels my body well.
Self-Care Idea #2: Don’t Clean the House During Nap Time
A real-quick true story: The other day both kids were miraculously napping at the same time, and there were messes in every direction. I knew I should tackle them before they woke up, and as I started running water at the sink, I felt a prompting from that still, small voice, “Make some nachos and sit in the quiet and be with me.”
Why it was nachos, I’m not sure, haha. 😀But I do know that God cares a lot about meeting our basic needs. I love this story in 1 Kings 19: 3-6. Elijah is running for his life, completely exhausted, and God meets him with a nap, a jar of water, and warm bread.
“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life…he came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,” he said. ‘Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.”
Now, I’m not saying your days as a mom are as extreme as Elijah’s, but God’s heart to provide rest for us is evident across scripture. Find what resets you and spend 30 minutes during nap time doing it - maybe it’s actually napping or reading a book or moving your body (I promise, it’s probably not scrolling), and notice how that time fuels you after your little ones wake up.
My other favorite part about this self-care idea is that, if we’re not cleaning the house while our kids are sleeping, we have to be more intentional about tackling it as a team while they’re awake. It’s great for them to see us taking care of our home and be able to join in (even if it takes twice as long)! Your family is a team, and as a parent, you’re the coach. The small moments of wiping a counter or cleaning a window are training them for their role on your team as they continue to get older.
Self-Care Idea #3: Schedule Time Away Once a Week
Let’s chat quick about a Sunday night meeting. The idea is that it’s a time for you and your husband to sit down before the week starts rolling so that you can be intentional and on the same page about your calendar and budget. I know some people use this as more of a relational check-in, but it’s always been more logistical for us, which paves the way for healthy relating during the week!
As you look at your week, you’ll pick out a couple-hour slot where you can get away (and schedule one for your husband, too). We first started doing this in 2020 after our son was born, and the world was closed, so “getting away” meant reading a book in our downstairs living room. You can schedule time away without it cramping your budget or your energy!
After you get in a rhythm of doing this, you might be tempted to use this time to run to Costco kid-free or knock out those things that stay at the bottom of your to-do list. If that will leave you feeling refreshed and cared for, who am I to stop you? Consider if you’re an introvert or extravert - if being with someone else would care well for your heart, make it a date with a friend! The idea is that this is a time to set down other responsibilities and obligations, so do what’s truly best for you. 🤍I promised you this would be practical, so here are ten ideas to get you started:
Call a friend
Paint your nails
Shopping + coffee run
Read a book
Go for a walk
Work on a creative project
Attend a class
Spend time outside
Work out
Visit your favorite coffee shop or bookstore
(Notice I didn’t list going to Costco, but you do you.) If you make this part of your weekly rhythm, let me know how it goes! I’d love to hear your ideas on your favorite way to spend this time. You can find me on Instagram at Home + Story.
Self-Care Idea #4: Get in God’s Word
I was so close to including this on the list above, but we really need God to encourage us from his Word every day, not just once a week. And if you take any advice from this article, let it be this: God can refresh you in five minutes a day.
We welcomed our sweet baby girl in December, our second, and before I knew it, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d read my Bible. Without saying it out loud, I’d told myself that I just didn’t have time, and that once she was a bit older, our schedule would have more margin.
Have you been there? Feeling like your life is just. so. full. and you simply don’t have time for that picturesque quiet time? Well, same. And what I learned is that God can change your heart in five minutes a day. When we’re talking about self-care ideas, spending time with the one who created and knows you is, hands-down, the most impactful. Here are a few practical tips to make time for God’s Word everyday:
Keep your Bible in your kitchen or on your coffee table. If it’s within reach, you’re much more likely to pick it up at a moment you may have otherwise picked up your phone.
Listen on-the-go: Find a window of time in your day that you can listen to an audio Bible app. Maybe it’s while you’re getting ready in the morning or commuting or cooking dinner.
Read your Bible with your kids! Don’t underestimate the power of God to speak to you through the Jesus Storybook Bible. ☺️
And read your Bible with your kids around. As they’re playing, spend five minutes reading, or invite them to join you on the couch with their own “coffee” and Bible. You are giving them the best gift by being a mom who walks with God and knows God’s Word.
Self-Care Idea #5: Reach Out to Other Moms
I know, I can hear all the moms in the back shifting in their seats because this is the hardest one, the most vulnerable one, and the most inconvenient in terms of your (limited) time.
This is also one that requires genuine intentionality because the structure of our culture doesn’t lend itself to natural overlap and life-on-life community.
So, what can you do?
My encouragement to you is to start small and go first. There are so many things that can get in the way of our pursuing friendships: pride or self-esteem or lack of purpose. I’ve found that when I shift my focus from friendships being for me to friendships being about the friend and the ways God could work through me to love on them, the relationship actually becomes life-giving.
In her book Find Your People (here), Jennie Allen says,
“If there is one principle that has shaped my last three years of ministry, it is this: pull people in at every turn. Never do anything alone. Why? Because even God exists in community within Himself.”
Find a friend that will run to Target spontaneously with you, kids and strollers and the whole works in tow. Call a friend and tell them you’re going to come by to drop coffee off. Make a weekly date to meet at the library for storytime. The key is to do the inviting and show up as your real self doing your real life things.
When you do that, you will build friendships that you can navigate sleep training and potty training, marriage, and discipling your kids with. Pray that God would show you the people you’re already bumping into regularly. Start by pursuing one friendship and watch how God uses you in community to care for others and be cared for.
You, my friend, are worthy of the same care you give your kids. I hope these self-care ideas serve you well as you go about your day-to-day, and when you’re offering something to your kids, don’t forget you might need it too. Spend five minutes a day in God’s Word. And I hope that you feel truly loved and celebrated this Mother’s Day - you’re a great mom. ♥️
