I see you mama! Running your business, taking care of your babies, and managing your household – in other words, doing all the things. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but busy is NOT a badge of honor. When we are “busy” trying to do all the things, self-care can feel like a pipe dream. But that’s why it’s so important to have self-care ideas on deck, even when your day is nonstop.
Because YOU should be a priority in your own life!
Self-care has definitely become quite the buzzword. But there’s a reason for that! At the end of the day, everyone around you benefits when you learn to prioritize yourself. You have to take care of YOU in order to take care of them. As the old saying goes, you have to pour into your own cup to be able to pour into the cups of those you care about. And that includes your business!
But, here’s the thing. Self-care is unique to YOU! Self-care can be whatever you make it – whatever YOU need to be your best self. Self-care doesn’t have to be an all-day trip to the spa – as long as you find the time for YOU in the day. It’s whatever works for you and whenever it works for you.
Only YOU know what things fill you up.
Now…that being said, self-care should be regular and consistent! YOU MUST MAKE TIME FOR SELF-CARE IN YOUR BUSY LIFE! You might even have to schedule it into your day and refuse to cancel that appointment with yourself. So, I’ll have none of that “I don’t have time.” It’s there, you just have to prioritize it! I try and fit my self-care into my morning routine; find a time that works for you.
Here’s a list of my favorite forms of self-care that aren’t just exercising, eating right, blah blah blah. I’m a huge proponent of leading a healthy and balanced life, but let’s be real, some days exercising can be a chore and it’s not always fun.
20 Self-Care Ideas for Mama Business Owners
- Get a massage on your lunch break.
- Get a mani/pedi.
- Take your dogs for a walk (you’re getting fresh air while moving your body – plus you’re being a responsible pet owner).
- Treat yo’ self. I’m a huge believer in the power of chocolate, but you do you.
- Read a book – whatever genre you love. My Kindle is my escape on a lot of days!
- Run errands while hubby watches the kiddos – some of my favorite self-care times have been when I hit Starbucks and then the Target aisles.
- Have a lunch or dinner date with your bestie – nothing refreshes your soul like a good laugh with one of your favorite humans!
- Take a nap (hard one I know, but even a 15-minute rest for your eyes can feel amazing).
- Pour a glass of wine and sit in silence.
- Have a dance party. Not a literal party in your house, but turn on your favorite tunes and get down. And hey it’s cardio too!
- Meditate. I use Insight Timer and it’s a great app to walk you through all kinds of meditations.
- Find a hobby. Maybe you like to write or craft. Find something you like to do that’s fun.
- Like to cook? Whip up a delicious meal that you actually SIT and ENJOY while it’s hot.
- Have a Date night. I know, I know…this isn’t supposed to be self-care. But sometimes, some one-on-one time with your significant other talking about adult things away from your kids can be refreshing.
- Find a class to take with your girlfriends. Maybe it’s a wine and paint night. Maybe it’s a hip hop dance class. Whatever you like! The important thing is to have fun with friends because you deserve fun too.
- Binge watch Netflix after the kids go to bed. Turn off the cartoons and enjoy some adult entertainment.
- Join a book club. This kind of goes with the one above that says read a book, but this takes it one step further. It allows you to have intelligent conversations about the book you are reading with other adults.
- Go out and be spontaneous. It can be alone, with friends, or with a spouse. Enjoy an unprompted adventure.
- Go to the beach and enjoy the relaxing sound of the waves. Or anywhere in nature that you can clear your head and just be.
- Plan a weekend getaway! And P.S. you are allowed to make this a girlfriends only trip.
Now that you have some ideas of things you can do for self-care, SCHEDULE IT FOR YOURSELF. Mama, it’s true that you can’t pour into anyone else’s cup if yours is empty. So be sure that you are filling your cup as well!
You spend so much of your day going and doing for everyone else; it’s time you start doing for yourself too.
So, I challenge you to create a list of self-care ideas and find a way to integrate at least one into your every day life. And I’d love to hear what they are!