It’s necessary for busy parents to take breaks from the hustle and bustle of life — to pause and recharge.
When I talk about self-care tips for busy parents, it can mean something different to each individual, but the whole family benefits when parents take care of themselves. Especially during the current situation. Consider making your mental, physical and emotional well-being a priority this year.
As parents, you know that your top prioritize is to take care of the kids. It can be very rewarding, but sometimes you feel like every moment of your life is devoted to their needs. You realize that self-care for parents is really important.
This actually happened when my female friend asked me for some recommendation of a skincare product last week and told me that after having kids, she doesn’t really have time to take care of herself anymore!
Busy parents probably can relate. You probably wish you could do more self-care, but there’s simply not enough time.
Self-Care Ideas For Busy Parents That Won’t Break The Bank
When it comes to self-care ideas for busy parents, there are loads of ideas out there that can inspire you. But many self-care activities require too much time or way too much money. But these 5 self-care ideas will actually restore your energy reserves. They won’t eat up more of your precious free time. AND, you absolutely won’t break the bank to make them happen.
How to Make Time for Self-Care
I understand that busy parents tend to put themselves last on their daily to-do lists. The worst case, they don’t have time to do it at the end of the day because they have to run around to work, school, home - it seems impossible to have time for themselves.
Self-care ideas for busy parents might be more important than self-care for people without kids. I think that my non-parent friends may disagree with this statement. But, here me out. Busy parents not only have more on their plate (you know, caring and being solely responsible for your kids), but they also have to teach and model their kids how to navigate their life. So, it’s not easy to have self-care for parents.
And working self-care into your routine will require a little discipline - just like any new habit.
Well, with this article, I’m challenging all the busy parents out there to put themselves first, and focus on these 5 self-care ideas for busy parents that can help!
When you looked back, you would probably discover that you have more time than you realize. Time spent in the shower, in the car, in front of the TV, or lying in bed worrying. It all adds up. If you just tweaked your activity a bit during those times, you might be able to enhance them.
5 Self-Care Ideas For Busy Parents
Move Your Body Every Day
Well, this doesn’t mean that you need to be running 10 miles each morning or evening.
It can be as simple as walking around the block with your baby in their stroller or walking in circles around your house or the living room while your child is playing with their favorite toy (or when they have a nice nap). Whenever you can, put yourself in situations that you will be forced to move your body.
Do stretches with your baby or do some bodyweight exercises whenever you have a spare moment. This isn’t about building muscle or losing weight, it’s about waking up your body so it’s not sluggish while you’re trying to do a hundred things at once as a busy parent.
Manicure or Pedicure
Ideally, this would mean actually going to a beauty salon so that you can have someone pamper you. It would also have the added benefit of getting yourself out of the house.
If not, invest in a nail buffer and some other self-care tools so that you can give yourself a manicure or pedicure at home when you have the chance. This will be something that you do just for yourself without focusing on anybody else.
Get Organized
One of my best tips for making the most of your time is to implement a planning strategy. I use lots of things to keep myself organized, including tools like a physical planner and digital to-do lists. I use these tools to keep track of my life, work, and family.
For busy parents, you can use this time to plan your meal, finance, or workout schedules.
And if you often get bored with the decor in your house, take a little time shuffling things around and adding new pieces. I like to take on little projects and tinker with stuff, especially in my room or workspace. It genuinely gives me happy vibes.
Use a Journal
When it comes to my own needs, I make sure to give myself 10 minutes at bedtime to take stock.
To do this, I rely on my journal. Journaling before bed helps me organize my thoughts and process the emotions of the day. I also like to check my daily to-do list, what I’ve accomplished and what I have to do for tomorrow.
The thing is, if you’re like me, you’re going to be lying in bed anyway, thinking and stressing about a hundred things at once. Why not use that time wisely and write it out instead? The process will help settle your mind, keep you in touch with what’s going on with you and your family, and will help you sleep better.
Check out this post about why non-digital time management (journal) is more productive.
Take a Book Break
Carry your book around with you so that you can read a couple of pages and take a few moments for yourself whenever you get a chance (when your kids focus on their favorite toys or having a nap). Give your brain a stimulate your mind in small doses if that is all you can schedule in. If you’re back to work, read the book on your lunch break as an escape from the real world.
Turn off the TV for the night and pick up a book instead. Reading is good for your brain and losing yourself in a story has been shown to reduce stress and muscle tension. Additionally, the less screen time you have before bed, the better you will sleep. Grab a cup of tea, or warm water and snuggle up with a good book before you go to sleep. It will help settle your brain while still engaging your mind
Here some book recommendations from my February wrapping-up or check here if you’re into the romance books!
So, that’s all my self-care ideas for busy parents. I hope this post can be a help for busy parents out there to make a little time taking care of themselves because it can affect their mind and health in positive ways.
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