While it may be tough to fit into your busy schedule, making time for yourself can make a huge positive impact on your life. Here are a few ways you can practice self-care while still managing to balance everything else on your plate!
Take a Long, Hot Shower
There’s nothing like a long, hot shower to help calm your nerves, decompress, and relax. This scrub from Amazon is an amazing addition to any tub. Smells amazing and leaves your skin feeling softer than ever! Lather, rinse, & relax!
Bake
Its time to revisit the beginning of quarantine and start baking again! So many of my girlfriends have turned to baking as a form of stress relief. There is something relaxing about baking that helps to calm your anxieties and take your mind off of the 24/7 negative news cycle. Best part, something delicious to enjoy at the end!
Declutter & Organize
Messy House = Messy Mind. I have always noticed how my stress and anxiety levels seem to skyrocket when I am surrounded by clutter and a mess. By organizing and decluttering your space, you are not only setting the tone for a less stressful mindset, but you are also creating a healthier environment. An added bonus, is that you can also be helping others. With so many people being put in tough financial positions, take all of the items that you don’t really use or need and donate them to local charities or thrift shops.
Exercise
Last year we bought a Peloton. After looking at how much we were spending on the gym, child care, and trying to fit classes into our schedules, it just made more sense (both financially and convenience-wise) to invest in the Peloton Bike. We love it! With the subscription, we have access to thousands of classes for both on and off the bike. I’ve been really loving the Yoga Flow classes (some are only 20 minutes!) and their Meditation classes, especially after watching the news. Even if you don’t purchase the bike or Tread, you can still download the app to have access to classes!
Take 10 Minutes to Unplug
Unplug, relax, reset. What good is laying in bed and trying to “rest” if you’re scrolling your phone and thinking of the 5,000 things on your to-do list? Put your phone on “do not disturb” and close your eyes. Listen to music, meditate, do anything to keep your mind off.
Gratitude List & Journaling
As we got further and further into this quarantine, I found myself in such a negative head space and only thinking about what was going wrong. After talking with a friend about how to combat such a toxic mindset, I decided to start creating a gratitude journal. Gratitude lists are so easy and can take no more than 60 seconds of your day. I started with the most basic of things, like “I woke up today”, “I am healthy and safe”, etc. and worked my way up the list; realizing how much I was genuinely thankful for and what I was taking for granted. It makes a huge difference in going from a glass-half-empty, to more of a glass-half-full type of person. Journaling is also a great outlet. There are tons of journals with props on Amazon, but any blank notebook works too. I have found that this journal, Pressing Pause, has been a huge help for me. Each day, I take 5 minutes to press pause on my life and check in with myself through scriptures aligned with motherhood. It has been a wonderful way to put life back into perspective.
Go For A Walk
Let’s be honest, the kids aren’t the only ones going stir crazy. Get out and get moving every day. Fresh air and a change of scenery can be a huge mood booster and change your mindset for the entire day!
Forget the To-Do List
Hard to find the time to fit in a little “me time”? Same here. I try to pack as much as I can into the hour I have while the kids nap. But sometimes it’s better for my own sanity to let it go. Forget the laundry, the dishes, cleaning the floors. Turn on Netflix, find a show that makes you happy, and relax!
Embrace the Chaos 