10 Minute Self Care for Moms
Reading Time: 7 minutes Listen to the podcast version:
An Essential Guide to De-Stress and quick self care this Summer
Summer is a wonderful time for children, but as a parent, it can also be a challenging time when you need to balance your own needs with those of your kids. However, with a little planning and creativity, it’s possible to enjoy some “me” time during the summer months while also ensuring that your children are happy and well-cared for.
How Can I Take Time for Myself?
Between taking care of your children, managing the household, and possibly working outside the home, it’s easy to put your own needs and well-being on the back burner. However, taking time for yourself is crucial for your physical and mental health, as well as your ability to be the best mom you can be. With seemingly, so little time available as is, mom, how can you find the time for just you?
1. Plan ahead:
Set aside time each week to do something just for you. 10 minutes is enough time for you to enjoy self care and relax.
2. Prioritize:
Make sure that you’re taking care of yourself first, before anything else. Don’t be afraid to say no to things that don’t align with your priorities.
3. Communicate:
Let your family know that you need some time for yourself, 10 minutes for self care is not a lot, and it’s important for your well-being.
Ask them to support you in finding time to do the things that make you happy.
4. Outsource when possible:
Consider hiring a babysitter or asking a family member to watch your child for a few hours so you can have some uninterrupted time to yourself.
You may be able to get a “mommy’s helper.” If you have a neighbor who is under 12 and needing babysitting experience and your children are young enough that they won’t consider this child a friend, you can have them “babysit” for super cheap while you are home. This way they learn and you are available to them, but you can use your time more efficiently so you can find bigger pockets of me time.
Check out: Summer Activities for the Kids and see if there are any great summer camps the kids can go to
Find a friend, do a “kids swap” you have the friends at your house once or twice a week this summer, and they have yours, giving you each some much needed alone time.
How do I practice self-care every day?
Somehow, we have started to associate “self care” with spa days, massages, and get aways.
Moms infrequently have time for these.
Small acts of self-care can make a big difference in a mom’s overall well-being.
Here are some tips to feed your soul on a daily basis while still maintaining the demanding schedules and raising those wonderful kiddos.
1. When is everyone “gone” and you are awake?
I am a morning person. I would rather get up an extra 30 – 45 minutes early for some me time than stay up after everyone has gone to bed. How does this work in your life? Would you rather get up early or stay up later?
Regardless of which you choose, you need to prioritize this scheduled time for self care and not for email answering, cleaning, social media, or binge watching.
2. What makes you feel whole, feeds your soul, and puts a positive bounce in your step?
Reading/watching the news is not what does this for me.
Seriously, put together a list of things that really lift you up.
If you find that music does this, you are not alone, research has found that music:
Boosts mood and reduces stress (activates release of feel-good chemicals like dopamine)
Enhances and improves cognitive performance (memory, attention, and problem solving)
Promotes physical health (help lower blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate, improving sleep)
I put together a list of “dance tunes” and I jump/dance on a mini tramp for 20 minutes. I always feel great after doing this.
I am able to find 20 minutes, because I am also getting in my “cardio” but you can easily just do 10 minutes of self care to clear your mind!
Your “feel good” list will be unique to you, but do not discount anything that makes you feel great.
3. Small Moments
You can do many self care activities in 10 minutes. Grab those precious 10 minutes, have a list ready-so you already have your plan, and reward yourself.
Here are ideas.
• Attitude of gratitude, write down one thing you are really grateful for each day.
• Listen loud and dance, put on your headphones and dance one song out, this is usually only 3.45 minutes.
• Meditation or deep breathing, you can use an app that has 10 minute or less exercises.
• Meme fun, laugh with a friend by sending a daily meme or joke, this will give you adult time and connection as well.
• Stretch, do you have a favorite stretch? Some like the cat/cow, the child’s pose, I really like the Piriformis Stretch while laying on my back.
• Run, 10 minutes is not long enough to enjoy the outdoors with a walk.
Just run to the mailbox and back and get your blood moving a little and maybe some Vitamin D.
• Barefoot in the grass, it sounds silly, but there is a lot of research on the benefits of walking barefoot in the grass.
If you don’t have any, grow a patch and just sit with your feet in the grass and experience:
-a rise in endorphins
-decrease in stress
-reduction in inflammation
-heart regulation
• Vacation anticipation, yeah, this is a thing. You don’t have to actually travel. You are a happier person if you have something to look forward to. Plan a vacation, even if you won’t actually be buying those tickets.
• Sofeggio Frequencies, these are sound tones that can improve health and well being.
There is documented science that says which systems are affected by which frequencies.
• Color, have you seen all of the anxiety relief or mindfulness coloring books for adults?
There is more research that says coloring helps your brain and body relax.
You could get a double “pow” and team up the coloring with a special frequency! ????
Self-Esteem Boosting
Confidence Raising
Positive Affirmations for kids
- The are 36 heart cut outs.
- You can choose the ones you love and use one each day of the month.
- Each one starts with Today... to center your child on what to focus on this day.
- Example: Today... I am good at solving problems.
36 Self-Esteem
Boosting
Positive
Affirmations
• Hydrate. Yes, if you just keep your water bottle filled and are drinking it, you are fulfilling a self care for mom. Water boosts energy, flushes toxins, and can help us performing at our best.
• Healthy eating. This is hard. It seems that all of the unhealthy stuff not only tastes great, but is easy and fast to fix and cheaper to buy. Sign up for Whisk, it is free. You can get all kinds of meal ideas that kids love and that will help the entire family eat healthier.
• Exercise. Your kids want to get out and do something? Great, take a walk or bike ride together. You look like the number one fun mom, and you are getting exercise for the day. As a side, but very important note, you are also instilling the value of exercising to your kiddos. As an added plus, if you do this in the evening you can use it as part of your bed time routine and it can be used for calming down after the day is done, having a conversation together about the day, and creating special memories. Yep, just from an evening walk.
Remember, even a short amount of time for yourself can be beneficial for your mental and emotional health.
Don’t underestimate the power of a 10 minutes of self-care in your day.
It’s just as important to take care of yourself as it is to take care of your children.
By carving out some time for yourself during the summer months, you can recharge your batteries and come back refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of parenting.