If you’ve never quite managed to get started with self care, NOW is the time to do it. As a busy mum, you might be devoting all your free time to your kids, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But you can’t really give your loved ones your best if you don’t take care of yourself, too.

If you’re reading this when it was published, COVID-19 has given us all the reasons to take care of ourselves better than ever before. Some of the tips below may need to be tweaked (for example, going to the gym is out of the question, as is getting a haircut unless your spouse is a hairstylist 😆), but make these tips your own and apply them to the current situation.

You know how when you’re on a plane, the safety video always says that you should put your own oxygen mask on first before helping your children? I find this concept applies to life in general as well – You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else.

I’m not talking about leaving your kids with the grandparents while you enjoy spa days and manicures here. It’s often the most basic needs that we mums tend to overlook. Here are five tips to get started with self care.

1. Get more sleep

This might sound obvious, but hear me out. What do you normally do when you have an endless to-do list? If you’re like many mums, you probably stay up really late until you get everything done.

But you’re really shorting yourself if you do that because sleep has an enormous effect on how you feel emotionally as well as physically. In fact, a lack of proper sleep can even cause health problems. That’s why addressing sleep is one of the first things to do when you get started with self care.

Not only that, but you’ll find you’ll go through that do-list much quicker if you’re well rested.

Take a look at your bedtime routine and find ways to improve it, like avoiding screens right before bed, keeping caffeine to a minimum in the evening, and ensuring your room is dark and cool for a good night’s sleep.

2. Make good food choices

I’m not going to tell you that proper self care involves going on a diet. It doesn’t, especially if you’re at a healthy weight. But there are probably ways you could improve your everyday meals that would give you more energy to get through your day, like consuming more plant-based foods and avoiding excess sugar, which can give you an energy crash that leaves you sleepy and unproductive.

You might also try to work some more foods into your meals each day that can boost your immunity, like vitamin-C-rich red bell peppers, broccoli, or citrus fruits.

If you have a slow cooker and you’d like to cook more variety in it, have a look at DIAF: Slow cooking & fast batching. You will learn how to take any recipe you find online and adapt it to cook in your slow cooker, getting an equally delicious dish – which I also teach you how to batch cook.

3. Move more

Have you ever heard people say they’re addicted to running? I know, that might be the last thing you think could ever happen to you, but a “runner’s high” is real. Exercise boosts your mood by releasing feel-good endorphins and reducing anxiety and stress

You’re probably too busy to go to the gym every day, but any movement is a better than none. Maybe you can start doing a short yoga video in the morning or walk laps around the football field while your son has practice. Or perhaps you just want to turn on your favourite songs and start dancing around your living room.

Self care shouldn’t be about dread, so choose an activity you love, and be sure to change it up from time to time!

4. Schedule some “me time”

Time-outs aren’t just for misbehaving kids. You need some time-outs, too, and making them part of your daily schedule can go a long way toward helping you manage stress and keep a good work-life balance.

Even if you can just set aside 15 minutes, it can make a big difference, whether you use it to go outside for some fresh air, sit quietly and sip of a cup of tea while looking out the window, take a warm bath, or read a good book.

5. Don’t feel guilty

Mum guilt is real. Your family needs you for a lot, there’s no question about it. And you might feel guilty about spending any amount of time, no matter how small, on yourself when you could be devoting it to them.

But as hard as it can be to tell your daughter you’re not up for another round of Monopoly when you really need to get in the shower, you need to just start doing it. Explain, if necessary, that you have to take care of yourself so you can be the best mum possible.

Don’t apologise for going to get a haircut, and don’t feel bad for letting the laundry pile up because you feel like watching TV once in a while. The world won’t end if you take a few moments to yourself, so don’t feel bad about it. It’s never too late to get started with self care!

If you liked this blog post, you might want to check out ’10 self-care practices I say yes to daily’.

Love,

Nakita xxx