You’ve heard that saying about how you can’t pour from an empty cup, but when you’re caught in the chaos of family life it can feel almost impossible to ever actually fill your cup.
The thing is though, self care doesn’t have to be about a whole day of relaxing or even an hour spent soaking in hot bath (although those things are great when you can fit them in).
A lot of the time self care is about noticing your needs and making sure they’re met, little bit by little bit each day.
So whether you have 2 minutes or 20, here are some quick self care ideas for busy mums to keep our cups filled.
1. Drink a glass of water
If you only have a minute to spare for a bit of self care, then use it to drink a glass of water.
Staying well hydrated is one of the best things you can do as a busy mum to keep well physically and mentally.
And I know, drinking water shouldn’t really count as self care, but the difference it can make to how you feel is too big to not mention it.
2. Breathe
Take 2 minutes to focus on your breath.
Find a quiet spot (if you can) and try the 5-2-7 breathing technique:
- Breathe in for a count of 5
- Hold that breath for a count of 2
- Breathe out for a count of 7
3. Hug someone
Or cuddle with your pet.
When you hug someone you care about, or cwtch up with your pet, you get a big boost in the feel-good hormones dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.
4. Give yourself a quick neck or hand massage
Take a couple of minutes to do some neck stretches and try a bit of self-massage to release any tension in your neck and shoulders.
Or get some lovely smelling hand cream and use that while massaging your hands.
5. Give micro-journaling a go
Journaling is a great self care technique that can reduce stress, help you clear your mind, and boost feelings of happiness.
Micro-journaling is a great way to get those benefits if you don’t have a lot of time in the day to sit and write.
Instead of writing a big journal entry you can just write a sentence a day, list 3 things you’re grateful for each evening, or write out a positive affirmation for the day in the morning.
6. Close your eyes
Try shutting your eyes (and maybe even popping in ear plugs) for 2 minutes when it all gets a bit too much.
Blocking out the world even for a few minutes can help you step back from everything and calm your responses.
7. Say ‘no’
Not adding anything new to your busy plate is a great form of self care.
8. Edit your social media feed
When you’re scrolling on social media unfollow anyone who makes you feel any kind of negative emotion.
If you can’t quite bring yourself to unfollow them, then at least mute them for a while.
9. Moisturise your body
Spend 5 minutes moisturising your body with a lotion that smells and feels amazing. Or do something else that feels pampering; little things like using my lash serum and using a body scrub in the shower work for me.
10. Get a blast of fresh air
You don’t need to head out for a long walk to get the benefits of spending time in the fresh air.
Take your coffee out into the garden in the morning, or drink it standing next to the back door if it’s wet out. Or open up all the windows in the house and let the fresh air in.
If you can, try and get out in the fresh air and the daylight in the morning to keep your body clock on track.
11. Try 5 minutes of mindfulness
Practicing mindfulness regularly is such a good way of looking after your wellbeing.
When you have 5 minutes of peace try to stand still and focus on all the things you can see, smell, feel, and hear. Stress-relieving CBN oils also help in calming the senses.
12. Do some quick stretches
If you don’t have time for a full workout then try just doing a few stretches in the morning.
You’ll get your blood flowing and wake up your body and mind gently, so you’ll be ready to face playgroup or work or whatever else you have going on that day.
13. Declutter something
Taking just 5 minutes to declutter something small can still make a big difference to how you feel.
It could be your handbag, your desk, your inbox, or your Facebook friends list.
Pick something that is bothering you with how cluttered it is and take a bit of time to sort it out.
14. Get your brain going
Keeping your mind active is another form of self care that’s perfect for busy mums and that you might not have considered before.
Find something you enjoy that gets your brain going and spend 5 minutes working on it.
It could be:
- A crossword
- A jigsaw puzzle
- Wordle
- Heardly
- A puzzle app on your phone
15. Get outside for a 10 minute walk
If you do have a bit more time in your day then get your fresh air by heading out for a 10 minute walk.
Ideally see if you can find time in the day to get out by yourself and either take in the nature around you or enjoy some music or a podcast.
16. Read for 10 minutes
Studies have shown that reading can have the same benefits for our health and wellbeing as meditating.
So spend 10 minutes during the day with your book, or head to bed with something to read other than your phone in the evening.
17. Try a 10 minute body scan meditation
If you’re not a big reader, then try winding down at bedtime with a 10 minute body scan meditation.
This is basically where you sit or lie down and focus on each body part at a time, noticing any tension and trying to release it.
18. Enjoy a 20 minute yoga session
When you have a little bit more time available then try doing a 20 minute yoga session.
The great thing about yoga is that you can do it anywhere you have a bit of space to move in, and you can find flows for everything from feeling more energised to winding down for sleep.
Related – 10 benefits of yoga for children
19. 20 minute power nap
If even yoga feels like too much, then grab a 20 minute power nap.
When you nap for more than 30 minutes you fall into a deeper sleep, and feel really groggy when you wake up.
Sticking to a 20 minute power nap means you stay in the lighter sleep phases so don’t have to deal with that grogginess.
20. Watch an episode of something easy
By easy I mean something that doesn’t require you to pay too much attention. Something lighthearted. Possibly something you’ve seen before so it’s familiar and comforting.
Think along the lines of Friends and you can’t go too far wrong.
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