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A mother’s job is to care for their children, and occasionally our spouses as well. But we often put the necessity of caring for ourselves on the back burner. The weight of caring for all of the other people in our lives can get heavy, and if we’re not careful in giving ourselves our own self care time, then we can quickly spiral into mom burnout. This is why every mom should treat themselves to a self care night as regularly as possible!
There’s so many reasons why moms need to prioritize self care in their life, but finding just what to do can feel daunting to some of us. Some moms have spent so much time putting others before themselves that when they actually get a moment to practice self care, they have no idea what to do!
In this article, I’m going to give you 12 super simple, super inexpensive, and low maintenance ways you can give yourself the self care night you deserve. I kid you not, some of these idea you can do tonight if you wanted to! Heck, you could do some of these every night! Whenever, or however, you decide to implement your self care night, your mental health will thank you!
Get the kids to bed early, or recruit some night time help
Yes, I am one of those moms who preaches that early bedtimes are incredible for kids! But not every kid is like mine, and not every family is like mine. So if getting your child down for bed earlier than normal isn’t in the cards for you, then consider passing some of the night time duties onto your spouse, or inviting a friend/family member over. Heck, even paying a babysitter is a good idea. Whatever you gotta do to give yourself adequate alone time!
Prepare yourself a meal you enjoy (or get your favorite delivered)
I love to cook, but my child doesn’t always appreciate my refined palette. There are some meals I absolutely crave, but know that I would be the only one to enjoy it if I made it for dinner. When a night rolls around when I just need something only I would eat, I give my son a simple dinner he would appreciate, and save my appetite for bedtime. Then I get to enjoy what I want!
Whether you cook yourself your favorite meal with more adult-friendly flavors, or order something to be delivered, enjoying a good meal is truly a treat!
Give Yourself A Spa Night
Spa nights don’t have to be expensive, and they don’t have to be long and drawn out. Simply think of a handful of “pampering” activities you’d like to give yourself, and make it happen!
Even if it’s something as simple as throwing in a bath bomb or a shower fizzy, or using a sheet mask, a little bit of pampering goes a long way!
Take a long bath
To me, warm baths are the epitome of relaxation. As moms, we don’t always get the time to enjoy a bath. So get those kids toys out of the way and break out the soothing aromas! Trade out your Paw Patrol bubble bath for some bubble bath made for adults!
Elevate your bath with a bath bomb, or a bath table so you can watch a show or bring something to drink to the bath with you.
If bath’s aren’t really your thing, or you don’t have a bath tub, then linger in the shower a little longer than usual. Show fizzys are also great to use for a nice aromatic shower experience.
Replace Mindless Social Media Scrolling With Something Genuinely Relaxing
Spending your evenings scrolling endlessly on social media is how many moms spend their free time. Why is that? Well, social media is sort of meant to be mindless entertainment, and is literally made to give you quick dopamine hits. Though social media in many regards is a tool that can be beneficial for us, often spending too much time on it can lead us to comparing ourselves to others needlessly. Excessive social media use is also a prime example of dissociating when stressed.
Instead of using your self care night to scroll your feed, find a book to read, listen to a podcast or audiobook, or even find a show to watch or a game to play. Giving yourself social media breaks can be incredibly good for your stress.
Do some journaling
Journaling is a fantastic tool for stress relief, and a great mindful thing to add to your self care night. You can simply write about your day, what’s been on your mind, what you’re grateful for, or you could use a guided journal.
I wrote the 365 Days of Gratitude Journal for just this reason. It is just about the simplest gratitude journal you can find. I wrote it with the intention that you would only need to spend 5 minutes or less a day with it. Feel free to check it out at the Overcoming Mom shop.
Enjoy Some Herbal Tea, Or An Herbal Blend
Tea is one of my go-to’s for relaxing after a long night. These bedtime tea’s from Yogi are hands down my absolute favorite!
I also recently tried out an herbal blend from Apothekary called “Chill the F*** Out!” I was super impressed! If you mix some of it up in a glass of warm milk, it tastes like peppermint hot chocolate! Full of different relaxing herbs, it’s meant to help you unwind after a long day. Apothekary offers many other herbal blends for a ton of purposes, including a wine alternative.
Talk To A Friend, Or Make A New One
It’s no mystery that finding mom friends is challenging. But it is so important to have healthy friendships. We were not meant to do life alone, and investing time in building positive relationships with other adults is worth it.
If connecting with other like minded mom friends is hard, I can’t recommend the Peanut app enough. This is a weird comparison, but it’s a bit like Tinder but for finding mom friends instead of dates.
Participate In An Old Hobby, Or Start A New One
As moms it can be easy to fall into the “all I do is mom stuff” trap. Many of the hobbies we had before we had kids get pushed aside. Starting a hobby or picking up a new one is such a fun way to tap into that creative, unique self we tend to abandon after becoming moms.
Whether you decide to pick up some knitting needles, acrylic paint, seeds for a garden, or even a video game, giving yourself something that is just for you to enjoy is a powerful form of self care.
Get Crafty
Giving yourself a creative task is a fun way to relax at the end of a busy day. Take up painting, knitting, or whatever other crafty thing strikes your interest.
There’s also tons of fun craft kits you can buy specifically geared towards adults. For example, I just picked up this adorable embroidery kit from Walmart. It’s been such a fun and relaxing way to wind down in the evenings.
Take Your Time Getting Ready For bed
If you’re anything like me, getting ready for bed usually happens when I realize I’ve spent entirely too long scrolling on my phone, then I panic, splash some water on my face, and go straight to the covers. I definitely do not regularly have the most relaxing bedtime routine. But studies have shown that a consistent, relaxing bedtime routine helps tremendously with sleep.
Make Your Bed An Oasis Of Comfort
I never really understood the need for a well furnished bedroom until I became a parent. Once my house became filled with obnoxious, noise-making, plastic toys, I realized that having personal oasis in my house was a necessity. I made sure that the one spot in my house that was truly mine (my bed) was as cozy and relaxing as I can get it.
This doesn’t mean you have to drop a fortune at your nearest Pottery Barn. In fact, please don’t! More than likely, the space you already have may need a few simple tweaks. Is it super cluttered around your bed? Then clear out that space so your eyes aren’t overwhelmed. How about the lighting in your bedroom. Can you make it darker? Or even invest in an inexpensive little night light for some nice ambient lighting? These are just a couple super simple ways to make your bed a space for serenity and relaxation.
Another super simple relaxing touch I made to my bed was using satin pillowcases. Not only are they great for your hair and skin, but they’re so soft and luxurious feeling. These satin pillowcases are a perfect and inexpensive tool to turn your bed into your peaceful oasis.
Need More Self Care Tools?
If you need more tools to make self care a priority in your life, I got just the stuff for you! Not only do I have the 365 Days of Gratitude Journal, but I have also created a Self Care Planner. Now making time for self care has never been simpler! You can check that out at The Overcoming Mom Shop.
If you need some more help with self care, I’ve also written these articles to assist:
