Motherhood brings a lot of love but takes a lot of energy, especially in the first years of parenthood. In this article you find great self care tips for moms.
Are you too tired in the evening to do anything? Can you just hang out on the couch exhausted? Time to make it easier on yourself with these five practical tips.
1. Break tasks into manageable chunks
You can save a lot of energy if you divide (household) tasks into manageable chunks. For that, you need to plan ahead so you can fit everything into your schedule without the tasks piling up. You can start planning the most energy-consuming tasks for times when you have the most energy. Prioritize the most important tasks and get them done before you’re too tired to do them. It’s important that your plan is flexible, because you can’t always know how you’ll feel on any given day. If your to-do list for the day is too long, you may need to shorten it to avoid getting too tired. If you’re not feeling well or have too much on your plate, don’t be afraid to cross tasks off your list. Instead, delegate them to someone else or schedule them for another day.
2. Move
You’ve probably heard it before, but moving ultimately brings you more energy. It’s not always easy so move at the pace that feels most comfortable for you and that you can maintain. Even if you feel good, there is no point in exhausting yourself all at once. Walk for (half) an hour every day, you can do this alone or with your child. If it’s too much effort, sit on a bench every now and then. At some point you will notice that moving becomes easier and easier, and you can consider running or even doing another sport. And at home you can enjoy fifteen minutes of exercise every day via YouTube. If you are a working mom take a walk during lunch time.
3. Meal prep
You can reduce the number of times you have to cook by preparing more food at once. That way you can freeze the leftovers or keep them in the fridge and prepare a second meal on another day. You can also do this with your child’s food. Make sure you hydrate yourself to stay healthy. You can also take half an hour every weekend (or another fixed day) to think about what you are going to eat that week, make a shopping list and get everything in one go. This way you prevent unnecessary visits to the supermarket and you don’t ask yourself the question ‘what shall we eat today’ every day.
4. Convenient Subscriptions
If you have recurring costs for certain groceries every time, it is very nice to take out a subscription. Then at least you don’t have to worry about it anymore. For example, subscriptions to fruit and vegetables and having them delivered at home, that gives you convenience and healthy food. And did you know that you can also get diapers delivered to your home every month? Then you don’t have to carry around those big packages anymore.
5. Have a conversation
Talk to other mothers. You can do this in your own environment or online on social media forums or mothers’ groups. Discuss what you encounter and ask for tips on how to deal with it. Are you in such a bind with yourself that you can no longer function calmly (think of crying, short fuse, no longer being able to take care of your child). Stress and/or (postnatal) depression can also occur. Talk to your GP about it.
Self care tips for moms:
