The Best Self-Care Tips for Stay-At-Home Mums

The Best Self-Care Tips for Stay-At-Home Mums 

When you become a mother, your whole life starts revolving around your baby. In between feeding, changing diapers, cleaning, and playing with your little one, there’s hardly any time left for you to think about yourself. Things like taking long baths, reading a book, sipping a coffee in silence don’t fit in your busy schedule anymore, and all you crave is one night of uninterrupted sleep. In other words, self-care seems to have gone out of the window. 

But just because you’re a mother now and your baby needs you more than ever, it doesn’t mean that you stop being a woman who has her own needs. On the contrary, since this is equally a precious and challenging time in your life, self-care has to be part of the journey as well. How else are you going to find the motivation and energy to do it all if you don’t take good care of yourself? 

As a mother, you’ll always have the tendency to put others first, at the expense of your own well-being. But you have to ask yourself at one point where does that leave you? Since you work so hard to make everyone else happy, it’s only fair for you to make time for yourself. As difficult as it might be, it is doable, and these tips will help you out. 

• Don’t hesitate to ask for help

An old proverb says it takes a village to raise a child and it is absolutely true. It’s an immense reasonability to take care of a tiny human being, and parenthood can be downright exhausting, even if you’re the most energetic person in the world. That’s why you shouldn’t have to do it all by yourself. Having a support network of family and friends is invaluable in these moments, as it can make a visible difference to your well-being. It’s important to have someone you can reach out to when things get too overwhelming.

Your spouse, close relatives, and friends can help you overcome the challenges that come with motherhood. They can contribute either by listening to your concerns, giving you advice when you most need it, encouraging you, or even helping you perform certain tasks so you can have a little time to breathe. 

• Learn to say no

When you’re a mother, you have to juggle a million responsibilities on a daily basis. But you have to remember that you’re just one person and you can’t do everything all the time, no matter how hard you try. The fact that you’re a stay-at-home mum doesn’t mean you have more time on your hands than other people who go to work every day. On the contrary, taking care of your children and staying on top of household chores is a job that never ends, taking up all of your time.

Remember that your needs are just as important as other people’s needs. You have to learn how to say no from time to time if you don’t want to end up on the brink of burnout. So, before you add another task to your never-ending to-do list, stop for a moment and think if it’s a good idea or not. Sometimes, the answer should be a simple and straightforward no.  

• Give yourself a break 

Both literally and metaphorically. Motherhood is already challenging enough without the myth of supermum pressuring you into performing to impossible standards. Women are fed the illusion that they can and should be exemplary mothers, great spouses, awesome cooks, all while looking their best and making everything seem easy. And if they don’t live up to these expectations, it’s their fault because they’re not doing enough.   

The truth is you can’t have it all together all the time, and that’s perfectly fine. Striving for perfection will just make you feel disappointed in yourself. So, give yourself a break, forgive yourself for the mistakes you make and the things that you can’t do, and be your own definition of perfection. The world won’t crumble if your house doesn’t look flawless or if you leave some of your chores for later because you’re simply too exhausted to handle them. 

• Pamper yourself 

It’s understandable that you won’t be able to go to the spa or the salon whenever you feel like it, but you can treat yourself at home as well. Squeeze in some me-time whenever it’s possible to focus on yourself. Anything that makes you feel good works, whether that’s putting on makeup, taking a hot bath, listening to your favourite music, getting some self-care gifts or wellbeing gifts for yourself, treating yourself to a manicure and pedicure, putting on a mask, etc.

And just because you’re not leaving the house for the office and you prefer to stay in your pj’s doesn’t mean you have to look unkempt. Choose some nice bamboo pajamas and loungewear for your lazy days, so you can feel nice even when you’re not dressed up. Looking good will make you feel good, and the other way around. 

• Do something that makes you happy

When was the last time you did something just for yourself? Remember all the things you used to do before life got too busy to think about your own needs and desires? You surely had hobbies or activities you enjoyed prior to becoming a mother, and there’s no reason to give up on them. Obviously, you won’t have the time or energy to do them with the same frequency as before, but you can revisit them every once in a while. 

When you feel like taking a break from your mum duties, go back to the things that brought joy to your life once. You might as well find a new hobby if you feel the need for a change. From gardening, knitting, or dancing to coloring, journaling, or practicing yoga/meditation, there are plenty of activities you can do at home that won’t take up too much of your time. 

Guest Article. Contains a sponsored link.