Self care for mums

I know, I know, self care for mums is a bit of a ‘buzz’ phrase going around at the moment #selfcare.

'Make time for self-care' they say.

‘It’s so important to look after yourself and put yourself first especially as a mum.’

But then do you see any of those people putting their hand up to mind the kids while we go for our hour-long stroll on the beach that these experts recommend?

Yeah all I hear is crickets.

So that leaves us back with ‘some days I can’t find time to shower let alone make time for myself.’

We have to ask ourselves though, what are we putting ahead of our own health? Without being too dramatic that’s what it comes down to.

When we don’t make time to take care of ourselves we are saying that everything else we do is more important. The washing is more important. Work is more important. Cleaning is more important.

Yes those things are important and not having them done stresses the bejesus outta me (that’s why I have systems in place to keep things running smoothly but I’ll talk more about that another day) but if we aren’t healthy and functioning as our best selves, then how can we expect ourselves to take care of all the other people we’re responsible for.

You know the saying ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup.’ As they say in every safety demo ‘fit your own mask first before helping others’... they say it for a reason. If you can’t breath you sure as hell can’t help anyone else to breath.

What is self care for mums?

Self-care has two categories and I’m going to call them ‘boring but important’ and ‘fun & enjoyable.’

The boring but important self-care includes things like bathing, feeding yourself well, having a clean, safe place to live etc.

The fun but enjoyable self-care is all those things that fill your cup and make you happy from arts & crafts to horseback riding or silver polishing if that’s your thing.

Sometimes these cross-over - a long hot shower can be mighty enjoyable and it’s also pretty important for our healthy.

Self care is about treating yourself like you love yourself. It’s about acting like your needs and enjoyment matter just as much as anyone else’s.

Why is self care for mums so important?

We can’t look after others if we’re not firing on all cylinders - I went into this above but it’s just so true I had to emphasise it.
Setting an example - our kids learn from what they see us doing. If we want them to grow up to love and take care of themselves then we need to teach them by showing them how we love and take care of ourselves.
We deserve to be taken care of just like everyone else even if the one taking care of us is us.

How to get started with self care for mums

The key to self care for mums is keeping it simple.

Self-care does not need to be this hour-long practice that requires a babysitter and military organisation to get you out the door.

It can be done at home, even with kids crawling all around you.

The first question is: what can you do for just a few minutes that will make you feel good?

In case you haven’t got an answer to that, I’ve put together a few ideas for you.

10 ideas for self care for mums:

Stand outside, eyes closed facing the sun for a couple of minutes.
Put on your favourite song and sing and dance.
Lie on the floor with your legs up the wall for a couple of minutes.
Pick some flowers or greenery from the garden and pop them in a vase somewhere you’ll see them and smile.
Do some colouring in (even if it’s a Disney princess book)
Learn a new skill on YouTube - even just learning to draw a turtle for your child.
Phone a friend just to say hi.
Close your eyes and take ten deep, slow breaths.
Start your day with a warm cup of lemon tea.
Put an exercise video on YouTube (even something the kids can join in with) and do some exercise in your living room.