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As a working mom, I get it. I feel pulled in too many directions, I want to answer to every “mama” while still maintaining some sense of focus towards my task at hand. I am working hard to keep the household managed, when I’d rather be playing in the yard.
A quick internet search will pull article after article reaffirming how a mother’s happiness affects her child’s development. The summary of it? Happy mothers tend to create more nurturing and stable environments, leading to better outcomes for their children, in almost every area of development. No pressure or anything.
So moms, what are we going to do about it. Put ourselves first? YUP.
I don’t have all the answers; I’m only 22 months into motherhood myself. Now with that, I have enough experience to share how to prioritize you, without the guilt.
Three Non-Negotiable Weekly Tasks
Spa days, massages and daily bubble baths are nice, but can be few and far between. Here are a few less “sexy” self-care tasks that help me prioritize myself, without the guilt that would accompany a monthly spa day.
- At Home Self-Care
- A Solid Sleep Routine
- Weekly Organization
At Home Self-Care
A self-care routine doesn’t have to be too time consuming. I have a few favorite weekly self-care activities that leave me feeling refreshed, and put together. Light a candle and enjoy some hot tea while you go through this evening routine.
Having my nails done; simple as that. My favorite DIY kit is Red Aspen Nail Dashes. These luxury press-on nails truly do last 10-14 days with a proper application. I love that my mani takes less than 30 minutes, and that I can do it from home after my babies go to bed. Better yet, if you do have a pop-off, it doesn’t require another trip to a nail salon. Just 60 seconds to reapply!
An everything shower followed by a self-tan. My favorite tanning drops are full of skin healthy ingredient, and they allow you to customize the tan level. Just mix your tanning drops into your favorite face or body moisturizer, and allow it to set for 6-8 hours.
A Solid Sleep Routine
When I was in college, a professor had shared this sleep chart, outlining a 90-minute REM cycle. It showed what time you’d need to go to sleep and wake up at to get a certain amount of sleep. I found that my personal perfect night was either 7 or 9 hours of sleep. A quick search for “REM Cycle Calculator” and you’ll find something similar. This is a habit I have stuck with for the last 7 or so years.
My Hatch Restore is another tool that has changed my sleep routine. If you’re not familiar with the Hatch products, it is essentially a phone-free sound machine, and sunrise alarm. I purchased mine in 2021, and my husband even came around to loving it too. Today, we are absolutely a Hatch household. In addition to having one in my room, I have one in both my son’s room, and the nursery, as well as two Rest Go’s.
Making the bedroom a phone-free zone. Eliminating the option to “check my phone” when I might wake up in the middle of the night, or first thing in the morning, really eliminated a huge time suck for me.
The last one I’ll share here, is PJ sets. Toss that ratty t-shirt from college, and treat yourself to a couple real pajama sets. They help to set the stage for a restful night of sleep, and leave me feeling just a bit more put together.
Weekly Organization
I have been a planner SNOB for as long as I can remember. Today, I have my two paper planners, one for my corporate job, and one for my personal life.
On Thursdays, I like to sit down and go through the following:
What’s coming up in the next week; this includes errands, chores, and any other significant events.
Review the spending plan, and ensure all the bills are paid.
Meal planning and grocery list writing.
Review goal progress, how am I doing on my personal and work related goals?
Planning for my social posts.
How to Prioritize YOU Without the Guilt
Although these are less “sexy” self-care tasks, and could be seen as “chores” to some, they really are simple actions to bring a little more order to the chaos of each week.
Baby blow-out? At least your nails are done.
Rough bedtime with the kids? Grab your own snuggly PJs while you listen to your favorite Hatch wind-down.
Late day at the office? Good thing your dinner was planned in advance.
