50 Self Care Ideas For Moms To Relieve Stress

It's important for mothers to invest in themselves in order to be a happy mom. With this long list of self care ideas for moms – she can live her best life and teach her kids to do the same.

Moms have a lot to deal with in their everyday life. From endless insensitive comments to the daily motherhood stressors, motherhood is not easy.

They often have to balance raising their children, a career (from the home or outside of the home), a marriage, and a social life (or lack thereof).

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All of these things leave moms with very little time for self-care, even though it’s so important to focus on it. To prevent a burnout, moms need to sneak in some “me time” whenever they get a chance to. 

50 Self Care Ideas For Moms

These self care ideas a perfect for moms, since they’re conscious of the time constraints that parents often face. Some of these habits involve some cognitive behavior changes that can improve your outlook on parenting. The easiest way to practice self-care is to get practical!

1. Take a warm bubble bath with a bath bomb or a bubble bath solution. Do this after your kids have already gone to sleep. 

2. Read for leisure for at least 15 minutes each day. You’ve read enough bedtime stories – you deserve to read what you want!

3. Deep condition your hair in the shower, or use a hair mask every few days. It’ll only extend your shower by a few minutes!

4. Use the blue light filter on your phone to fall asleep easier while your phone is in your bed. You’ll also reduce migraines!

5. Say “no” to responsibilities that you don’t have time for. You don’t need to be the PTA treasurer, Girl Scout cookie mom, and your son’s baseball coach all at once! 

6. Sign your kids up for extracurricular activities like after school sports, clubs, and scouting organizations. This will give you some extra time to yourself each week.

7. Hire a reliable date night babysitter for when you want to go out with your friends or with your significant other. 

8. Say “no” to your kids sometimes. You can’t give them everything, all the time. 

9. Find someone to carpool with to and from events, school, and activities. 

10. Find an affordable summer camp to keep your kids out of the house while school is out. They’ll stay entertained, learn new skills, and make friends. 

11. Talk to a therapist or counselor if you’re struggling. It’s okay to ask for help – it doesn’t make you a bad mom!

12. Listen to your favorite music in the car. It’ll put you in a better mood. With streaming services like Apple Music, your kids can still listen to their favorite tracks on your custom playlist!

13. Ask your significant other to help out. You shouldn’t have to do everything alone!

14. If you’re helicoptering, stop. Being overprotective creates unnecessary stress for both you and your child. Accept that some things are out of your control as a parent.

15. Remember: your child’s decisions are their own, and they are not indicative of you being a bad parent. Your children have free will, so cut yourself some slack when they mess up.

16. Take measures to avoid physical illnesses, like carrying hand sanitizer, getting the flu shot, and drinking more Vitamin C.

17. If you get sick, focus on yourself. Find a friend, partner, or babysitter to help out with your children while you rest up, even if you just have a bad cold. 

18. Protect your children against preventable illnesses. Even if you’re opposed to vaccines, teach your kids to wash their hands, utilize hand sanitizer, and not share drinks with their friends. If they’re sick, you’ll become more stressed out.

19. Remember the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can’t, and the wisdom to know the difference. 

20. Don’t compare your parenting style to other parents’ styles. You know how to handle your own children. 

21. Assign your kids some age-appropriate chores to take some of the responsibilities off of you.

22. Don’t give your kids pets with the assumption that they will care for those pets. News flash: that’s your pet now because your kid isn’t going to feed it. 

23. Keep a consistent sleep schedule, even on the weekends.

24. Know your physical limitations when it comes to pushing, lifting, kneeling, etc. to avoid an injury.

25. Keep a daily gratitude journal.

26. Remind yourself of all the ways you’re succeeding as a parent.

27. Utilize parental controls on your children’s electronics so you can worry less about what they’re viewing.

28. Find time to exercise for a half hour every 2-days, even if it’s just a short walk around the block before the kids wake up.

29. Make sure you’re getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

30. If you’re a new mom, seek advice from seasoned moms.

31. Remind yourself that you will mess up sometimes, and that’s okay.

32. Practice mindfulness – focus on what’s happening here and now.

33. When you take a family vacation, find resorts and cruises that have childcare or supervised activities for your kids. 

34. Set boundaries with your extended family when it comes to how they interact with your children, especially infants. 

35. Set boundaries with your children, like “when Mommy is in the bathroom, don’t come in or bang on the door. I will help you when I come out.”

36. Take advice from Facebook groups with a grain of salt. Those parents don’t know your child.

37. Find doctors that can see your child outside of school hours so you won’t have to pull them out of class to take them to the dentist.

38. Make your bedroom off-limits after a certain hour to give you (and your significant other) some alone time every night.

39. Let other parents host your child for playdates to give you some more time to yourself. 

40. Make your child’s teacher aware of your responsibilities outside of parenting so they don’t expect you to do things you don’t have time for.

41. Don’t do last-minute favors.

42. Ask to be informed of school events, birthday parties, and other obligations at least a month in advance. 

43. Use an organizer or bullet journal.

44. Congratulate yourself for how far you and your children have come.

45. Only work while you’re on the clock – don’t bring work home with you.

46. Limit your alcohol intake

47. Take any medications you have as prescribed. Set an alarm to remind yourself if you must.

48. Stock up on food that can be tossed in the microwave, or food that’s already ready to eat.

49. Drink plenty of water.

50. Buy food that you can bring along with you to work, school, etc. if you don’t have time to cook.

As a parent, it can be hard to take a step back from your parental responsibilities to focus on yourself. As selfish as it may feel, it’s imperative that you practice self-care. When you feel better and you aren’t burnt out, you’re able to be a better parent!

What are your favorite self care ideas for moms? Tell me in the comments below!