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Challenge: Taking Care of YOU

25 INEXPENSIVE SELF CARE IDEAS FOR EXHAUSTED MOMS

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Are you sick and tired of hearing your kid scream “Mom”

Are you ready to have a moment to yourself to just breathe?

Aren’t you tired of being stressed, overwhelmed, and overworked?

Between the kids needing you, your husband wanting you, and your boss being on your back…you are ready to pull your hair out!

Girl….I know the feeling.

I know you wish you had a moment to yourself to do something you love!

It’s been so long since you did that, huh?

Oh, by the way, hiding in the bathroom to have a moment to yourself, doesn’t count! You need more than that.

In fact, call me your fairy godmother because guess what…with my take back yo self care checklist fix name you can get a little piece of heaven back in 15 minutes or less without costing you a dime girlfriend!

But before I give you this, you have to get all the tea I’m about to spill. This means giving you 25 inexpensive self care ideas for exhausted moms.

Are you sick and tired of hearing your kid scream “Mom”

Are you ready to have a moment to yourself to just breathe?

Aren’t you tired of being stressed, overwhelmed, and overworked?

Between the kids needing you, your husband wanting you, and your boss being on your back…you are ready to pull your hair out!

Girl….I know the feeling.

I know you wish you had a moment to yourself to do something you love!

It’s been so long since you did that, huh?

Oh, by the way, hiding in the bathroom to have a moment to yourself, doesn’t count! You need more than that.

In fact, call me your fairy godmother because guess what…with my take back yo self care checklist fix name you can get a little piece of heaven back in 15 minutes or less without costing you a dime girlfriend!

But before I give you this, you have to get all the tea I’m about to spill. This means giving you 25 inexpensive self care ideas for exhausted moms.

Are you ready?

Of course you are!

Let’s get into it!

LISTEN TO A PODCAST

couple listening to a podcast for self care

You like to stay informed and be up to date on what’s going on in the world, right? (Entanglement, anyone?)

Well, when you’re on the go all the time, you really don’t have time to sit down and catch the news, read an article, or pick up a book.

I know, I know, believe me as a mom of 3 young kids, I miss reading too!

But one of the next best things you can do to remain informed is listening to podcasts.

There are literally tons of podcasts out there about anything you want to learn.

There are podcasts on work life balance, parenting, finances, side hustles, spirituality, science, murder mysteries, etc.

All you have to do is choose a topic and start listening for FREE girl!

HAVE SIRI TELL YOU HOW GREAT YOU ARE

kid looking up to painted mural with inspirational quote

How many times have you told yourself you’re amazing today? Not enough I bet!

So, why not let Siri tell you you are amazing!

Go to your phone right now, and set at least 3 different times of the day that Siri tells you, “You are amazing!”

I’m telling you it’s a game-changer to get that boost of confidence and motivation throughout the day.

CLEAN AND DECLUTTER

cleaning inexpensive self care idea

Yeah, cleaning doesn’t seem like it should be a self care activity because it’s not fun per se, but it’s absolutely, most positively, is self care.

In fact, a 2010 study shows that women who have higher stressful homes, (clutter), compared to those who didn’t, became more depressed over the course of their day.

When you have so many things laying around, it takes a toll on your mental, because you are always worried about cleaning and organizing.

If you declutter and keep only the essentials, your home will be tidier. This means you will have less to clean and do, which means less on your to-do list.

WATCH A FUNNY YOUTUBE VIDEO

I get it you don’t have time right?

Well, how about this, you can continue to be stressed out, or you can take 5 minutes to watch a funny YouTube video that will change your mood for the better?

Yep, I thought so.

One of the best and swiftest ways to change your mood is to make yourself laugh!

You can do this by…you guessed it watching a funny YouTube video.

WATCH THE SUNRISE

woman watching sunrise for inexpensive self care idea

I do like watching sunsets but let’s be honest when it’s time for the sun to set, your whole family is still up, right?

So, it’s better to watch the sunrise because everyone will be sleeping and you will be able to enjoy some peace before the circus begins.

In fact, you can grab a cup of joe, sit in your favorite robe, and watch how God works miracles.

It’s a beautiful, peaceful, way to start your day.

GO FOR A WALK

woman walking in forest

When’s the last time you’ve been outdoors without hearing, “Mommy can you run with me?”, or “Mommy he pushed me?”.

It’s been a while huh?

Well, let’s fix that!

It’s time for you to take a walk all by yourself and check-in to see how you are doing.

Practice mindfulness by noticing how beautiful and diverse nature is.

Look around at your neighborhood and I’ll bet you will discover hidden treasures that you never even noticed before.

CREATE A YAY LIST

create a yay list for inexpensive self care

So…what exactly is a yay list? Simply put, a yay list is anything that makes you go yay!

Yay not your thing?

Well, it’s anything that makes you excited, happy, at peace, calm, basically, anything that puts you in a good mood.

It is a file that you keep on your phone that links or has photos of things that make you happy.

It can be a screenshot of a text message that made you smile. A video that made you laugh. A photo that brings positive memories or an achievement you received.

CALL A FRIEND

group of friends conversing

We all have that one friend that puts a smile on our face no matter what storm we are facing.

I’m not talking about the friend that always has a sob story, nope not her.

I’m talking about the friend who keeps you bent over laughing to the point you are about to pee yourself. This is the friend you need!

You don’t have to call her and tell her what’s going on with you if you don’t want to, but you can call her and just talk. Eventually, you will be laughing and in such a better mood.

DAYDREAM

dream catcher facing the sky

Yeah, I know that daydreaming is something that use to get you in trouble, but daydreaming is a good thing.

In fact, daydreaming allows you to keep your life’s agenda in front of you.

It helps you to learn how to go about situations, plan your future and it helps you go through past memories so you can learn from them.

So, if you are feeling stuck and not sure about the next step you should take, you can daydream about it and see what solution you come up with.

JOIN A FACEBOOK GROUP

joining facebook group inexpensive self care idea

Are you struggling with a particular area in your life? Like work-life balance, parenting, marriage, or are you looking for an outlet to talk about things you are passionate about? Such as knitting, crafting, reading, singing, whatever it, or may be, there is a Facebook group waiting for you.

If you want to meet new people, build connections, and know you’re not the only person on planet Earth in your situation, then you should def join one.

Being part of a Facebook group is amazing because it’s like you instantly have a group of companions you can talk to.

Try it out and tell me how you like it.

ASK FOR HELP

woman reaching arm out for help

Ok Mama, this is one that you need to add to your life EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!

I know asking for help isn’t your forte. In fact, you love to do everything yourself, right?

WRONG! Not asking for help is why you’re to-do list is never-ending and you’re stressed out all the time!

Asking for help with things like laundry, dishes, picking up the kids, cooking a meal, will help you feel less stressed and overwhelmed!

It will free up so much time so you can sit down and do what you want!

Now, go ask someone to fold that load of laundry and wash the dishes so you can sit back and relax for a few minutes. You deserve it.

DO NOTHING

woman relaxing on couch

Okay, so you have time alone and now you’re scrambling about what should you do, right?

It’s not that many times that you get to be alone. So… I’m going to throw this out there for you, why not do nothing?

Just sit your little pretty behind right there and do nothing for once.

Let your mind relax and your body too.

BE PRESENT

woman floating in water

Right now while you’re alone, you need to be present.

Stop worrying about all the things you need to do, haven’t done, or want to do.

Just sit back, relax, and let your inner voice guide you.

PUT ON A HOMEMADE FACE MASK

friends having a spa day

Have you taken care of your skin lately?

Why not try a 2 ingredient homemade face mask? They are simple and made with ingredients you have in your pantry right now!

HAVE A MINDFUL CUP OF COFFEE

mindful cup of coffee inexpensive selfcare

Do you normally grab your coffee and run out the door? Well, not right now!

Since you are alone Miss Missy why not put on some comfy clothes, grab a blanket, fill your favorite mug with a warm cup of joe, sit down, and be mindful.

Reflect on your present moment and accept your feelings.

TAKE A LONG SHOWER

glass shower with plants

You know those quick showers you normally have to take because the kids are fighting, screaming, yelling, or they are trying to hop into the shower with you?

Well, now that you have some time to yourself, you can take a nice long cleansing shower.

A shower that not only cleans your skin but one that also helps to clear your mind, release your tension, and relax your body.

WRITE IN YOUR JOURNAL

woman practicing self care reading book

Omgosh this gives me so much relief when I’ve had a hard day. Unlike most people, I don’t have someone who will just listen, and not judge.

So you know what I do, I talk to my journal.

I write out everything about the day: What went wrong, what went right, what I could’ve done better, and how I felt.

This release is needed. It helps me feel better because I’m no longer replaying the day in my head over and over again or worried about what I should’ve done and said.

Now, everything is out. I can release that day and prepare for the next.

MEDITATE

woman meditating on a rock near the ocean

Meditate smeditate who has the time to sit for a whole freaking hour and just be?

Can you imagine what you could be doing if you had a whole hour to yourself each and every day?

I wanted to tell you that meditation does not mean you have to sit and be quiet for a long amount of time.

Meditation means focusing the mind on a particular object or activity to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state.

You can meditate for 15 minutes or less, it’s up to you.

Meditation is a great inexpensive self care idea that allows you to:

  • Reduce stress
  • Control anxiety
  • Enhance self-awareness
  • Lengthens your attention span
  • Help fight addictions
  • And so much more

SAY NO

woman with outstretched arm

You know how you try and do everything for everyone and it wears on you mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally?

But then the time comes when you need help and guess what happens? The people you were there for don’t show up at all.

You want to know how you can fix this so that way you don’t keep stressing yourself out? It’s simple really, all you have to do is say no.

For example, when someone asks you something and you have to go out your way, say no!

You cannot keep giving and giving and giving.

You have to prioritize your needs first.

MAKE A PRIORITY LIST

writing a list while drinking coffee

Do you know that long to-do list that you keep going over and over in your head? Well, throw it out!

That to-do list is stealing your energy. What you need to do instead is prioritize.

Look at the list and knock off all the things that you kept putting off.

You know those phone calls you needed to make, the meetings you needed to confirm, those dishes you need to wash, do them now!

Once those are done, whatever is left on your list, you need to prioritize it. Put the task that is most important at the top all the way down to the least important.

Finally, go down the list and complete 3 of them each day until your to-do list is done.

Breaking your list up and prioritizing it makes life so much easier.

TAKE YOUR VITAMINS

orange on white background

Remember when your mom handed you those chalky Flinstones vitamins to take every day?

Well, then what happened sis?

Why have you stopped taking your vitamins?

With all the food that is processed and modified these days, it is hard to get the nutrients you need every single day. One inexpensive self care activity that you can do daily is to take a multivitamin so you can get the recommended nutrients that your body needs to function.

PRACTICE AFFIRMATIONS

practicing affirmation inexpensive self care idea

Yes, girl! It is time to whip out those affirmations and put them to use!

Affirmations aren’t just sayings that you repeat over and over. There’s much more to that.

Affirmations are meant to reprogram the subconscious mind and help you to believe and achieve those things in reality.

When you change your subconscious, you are literally changing your reality because what you believe about yourself at your subconscious level, has a significant outcome on the events of your life.

So, sis, it’s time to actually put those affirmations that have been hiding in your phone or on your desk to use. So that you can literally create the life you want to live.

BE ALONE

woman smiling alone in nature

As a mom, you never get time alone unless you lock yourself in the bathroom and ignore the knocks on the door, right?

Well, being alone is an awesome inexpensive self care idea that I am sure you will love. Being alone allows you to gather your thoughts, figure out your emotions, take a nap, basically do whatever you need to do to take care of you.

Having alone time helps to build your:

  • Mental strength
  • Increase empathy
  • Increase productivity
  • Spark creativity
  • Plan your life
  • Get to know yourself

As you can see, being alone helps you in so many ways. Which is why it is one of my favorite inexpensive self care activities.

VISUALIZE

sage stick burning

Remember when you were younger and you use to imagine what your life would be like?

Do you ever wonder why you stopped doing that?

Well, it’s time to really start it up again. It’s time to daydream again and visualize how you want your life to be.

Because like Oprah says, “If you see it and believe it, it’s a lot easier to achieve it”. Plus, visualization has some pretty cool freaking benefits like:

  • Increasing your motivation
  • Increasing your positive thoughts
  • Optimizing your performance
  • Reducing your stress
  • Defining exactly what you want and how to achieve it

WRITE A LOVE LETTER TO YOURSELF

flowers in a brown letter bag

Do you ever feel like you don’t matter? Like you are always doing for everyone else but you aren’t anyone’s priority?

I know it is hard being a mom and always running for someone else. It gets to the point that when you do do something for yourself, you feel guilty about it. And you shouldn’t. Feeling this way means, you need to write yourself a love letter.

Writing a love letter to yourself stating all the things that you have been through, what you have learned, and admiring your strength is going to fill you with so much joy and is a great inexpensive self care idea.

Pouring love into yourself reminds you of why you matter and it helps remind you of why you are so damn important.


THE LAST THING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INEXPENSIVE SELF CARE IDEAS

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What I want you to remember is that self care doesn’t have to be elaborate. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time.

Self Care is anything that helps you. It’s something that you do that helps you to explore your feelings and triggers and figure out why you feel the way you feel.

So, don’t let anyone tell you exactly how you should practice self care because you are a unique individual. Therefore your self care is individual to you.

Remember Love Always And Spread Bliss,

Ree

About The Author

Ree is a Type A INFJ who loves historical fiction, being invited to the party, but not ACTUALLY HAVING TO GO! She is the writer at Mind Body Spirit Bliss where she helps Type A, high achieving moms take control of their day, time, sanity, with simple systems and strategies that work. Follow her on Instagram and join her mailing list at Mind Body Spirit Bliss.

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