Simple self care routine ideas for busy mums
As mums we’re good at meeting everyone’s needs, but we often neglect to take care of our own. That’s where finding self care routine ideas comes in, because finding ways to care for ourselves, means we’re meeting our needs as well as everyone else’s.
This article will discuss what a self care routine is, why it’s important, and some self care activities that you can try.
Whether it’s moving your body, planning your day, carving out solo time, or any other self care activity listed, you’ll soon discover that even small changes to how you care for yourself, can make big differences to how you feel.
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What is a self care routine?
A self care routine is when you take deliberate actions to support your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, which can mean getting enough sleep, eating nutritious meals, exercising, or saying no.
Self care is a personal experience, what you consider to be taking care of yourself, someone else may not.
For example, I consider decluttering a self care activity for me, because when my home is clutter free, I feel calm and less stressed.
However, someone else may consider decluttering a chore, and not self care at all, and that’s totally fine.
Why is self care important?
Neglecting self care can lead to burnout, overwhelm, and stress, resulting in the inability to meet anyone’s needs, let alone your own.
It’s important not to feel guilty for taking time out for yourself, self care is essential for your overall health and wellbeing, and isn’t something that you should put at the bottom of your to do list.
How to start a self care routine
Here are some tips for starting a self care routine:
- Start small, choose 1-2 activities to focus on initially
- Choose activities that fit the amount of time you have
- Treat self care like an appointment you can’t cancel
- Stay flexible, there may be days you can’t do your routine, and that’s fine
- Regularly revisit and adjust the activities you do, so they meet your needs
- Never feel guilty about taking time for yourself
Simple self care ideas
Here’s a self care ideas list full of ideas that you can add to your self care routine.
The best way to get started is to pick activities that you enjoy, and that will enhance your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Reading
Reading is one of my favourite self care ideas, and something I do every night before bed.
Reading fiction before bed is a great way to wind down and relax, whilst reading non-fiction can help you to better understand yourself, or learn something new.
Hydrate
Drinking enough water throughout the day is a great way to stay focused and refreshed.
If you have trouble drinking water, a water bottle with a time marker makes it much easier.
Movement
Moving your body regularly can reduce stress, improve sleep, boost your energy levels, and put you in a relaxed state of mind.
Moving your body can mean going to the gym, going for a walk, doing yoga or pilates, or any other form of movement that you enjoy.
Planning
Having a planning routine in place where you plan the upcoming week, allows you to focus your time and energy on things that are important.
Saying no
Saying no is a great way to take care of yourself, because overloading your schedule, or doing things you really don’t want to do, creates stress, overwhelm, and even resentment.
By saying no to something you don’t 100% want to do, you’re making time for things you do want to do, including self care activities.
Journaling and gratitude
Journaling is a great self care activity, it’s where you write down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, so you can gain clarification on things you’re unclear about, or process your feelings towards something.
Writing a gratitude list, is something you can do as part of your journaling time, which is where you list down things you’re grateful for each day.
You can use a planner to journal or write your gratitude list, or you can use a notebook that you already have.
Each of these activities boost happiness levels, and create positive emotions, which can help to shift your mindset.
Solo time
Taking time out is another of my favourite simple self care ideas, that I try to do as much as possible.
This may mean a solo shopping trip, café visit, or even one of my favourites, a solo night away.
Home ambiance
Lighting a candle, or using essential oils in an oil diffuser is an easy way to create an ambiance of calm, and relaxation at home, and is a great way to recharge.
Hobbies
Having a hobby gives you something to look forward to doing, and can take you away from the challenges of daily life.
Perhaps you want to bake more, learn a new skill, or get back into a hobby you enjoyed when you were younger.
Here are some hobby ideas that may inspire you.
Weekly reset
A weekly reset is a set of tasks that you follow to help you get organised for the week ahead. It’s a great form of self care because it reduces stress, reduces decision fatigue, and allows you to focus on activities that matter.
Some things you could do as part of your weekly reset include:
Baths
One of my favourite things to do on a Sunday night is to take bath, it’s a great way to relax, and listen to music, read, or watch a TV show whilst putting a face mask on.
Nutritious snacks
Eating healthy snacks is a great way to feel more energised, and ready to tackle the day.
Some healthy snack ideas include:
- Fruit salad
- Greek Yogurt and berries
- Smoothies
- Trail mix
- Vegetables and hummus
Music and podcasts
One thing I love doing as part of my self care routine is listening to podcasts, which I do when I’m driving, folding laundry, or going for a walk.
If podcasts aren’t your thing, then making a playlist of your favourite songs and playing them whenever you need a boost, is a great way to look after your emotional health.
If either of these simple self care ideas are something you would like to try, doing it whilst wearing noise cancelling headphones, or noise cancelling ear buds, will ensure you focus on your music or podcast, and tune everything else out.
Shows and movies
I love unwinding after a long day by watching a TV show or movie that doesn’t require a lot of thinking power.
Screen free time
Waking up and not turning your phone on immediately, or turning if off 30 minutes before bed, and instead enjoying a hot beverage, reading, or enjoying some peace and quiet, allows you to start or end your day less overwhelmed.
We’re constantly bombarded with notifications and emails of things we have to add to our to do list, so having screen free time each day allows our brains to take a break, lessens overwhelm, and leading onto the next point, helps us sleep better.
Sleep
Going to bed at a consistent time is not only a great evening routine idea, but is necessary for mental, emotional and physical health.
There are many benefits of a good night’s sleep, but for me it contributes towards more energy and focus the next day.
Friendships
The people we surround ourselves with impacts our mental wellbeing, so making time for friends that make you feel good, and that you enjoy being around, is an important self care activity.
Self care routine ideas – a recap
Self care is about choosing small, meaningful activities that support your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
The best self care routine activities are those that feel enjoyable for you, which may mean reading, exercising, saying no, journaling, or getting enough sleep.
So start small, experiment with different activities until you find the ones that you enjoy.
Remember, self care doesn’t have to be extravagant or time consuming, often simple activities done regularly make the biggest difference to your overall health and wellbeing.
And most importantly, never feel guilty for putting your needs on your priority list. A happier, healthier you means a calmer, more balanced home for your whole family.
Is there anything on this self care ideas list that you’d like to add to your self care routine?
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