The Self-Care Mom

Creating a simple morning routine list starts with making time for yourself. Keeping this top of mind will help with implementing self-care into your morning habits. Learn easy ways you can successfully implement better habits into your day. 

There are a number of ideas you can try to improve your everyday life and accomplish more throughout the week. One hack I like to use is to wake up earlier than everyone in my home. 

…and do this consistently. 

Although consistency isn’t one of my favorite things, I’ve learned to appreciate the value in routines.

By implementing similar processes every day, I’m able to accomplish the necessary tasks and more. Consistency also helps when you have multiple children.

Raising 3 kids means consistency plays an important role in my day. 

Through consistency, the kids understand what to expect, and how to be more independent. From creating a morning routine checklist for kids to having a chart of tasks for them to complete, being consistent has helped me develop a summer fun schedule that the family can enjoy together. 

All this while working from home and juggling house duties. 

Including your children in your daily activities is a bonus. Not only does it help them learn everyday skills, but it also works as motivator to keep you going.

Sometimes the toughest part of creating a routine is being consistent.

The more you focus on ways to simplify the process, the more successful you will be in implementing a routine that works for you and your family.

Morning Routine For Success

With everyday fun mom ideas comes the need to keep the kids on task. 

Aside from helping the kids develop their independence, creating habits in the morning gives me options when juggling multiple things throughout the day. 

Parenting can be a challenge, but the more organized you are, the better off you’ll be. 

If you’re a mom who feels you need more self-care in your life, then I recommend creating a daily schedule. Trust me, it’s a game-changer.

It’s one of the best ways to make time for everything on your list — granted your list has attainable family goals.

My daily schedule starts at 6:30 AM. It includes setting up breakfast, preparing coffee, and everyone’s clothes for the day. 

I do some self-care in the morning to help me keep the momentum and tidy up the house.

NOTE: Tidying up my home is also part of my self-care routine because it keeps me sane. I have the kids join in as well. After all, they make most of the mess.

This gives me a chance to catch up on cleaning areas I didn’t have the time to complete the previous day.

There are a number of things you can do to help improve your everyday life. Here’s a list of ideas to help you get started on your early routine:

Wake up early.

Most working moms I’ve chatted with on the topic of time management with kids at home say their mommy morning routine helps them accomplish more. 

All of these women say having a daily habit is a must!

If you feel you need more time to yourself, then I recommend waking up earlier every day. This could also mean going to sleep sooner.

Two years ago, I had several clients I’d work with throughout the week which meant late nights. A year later, I told myself I needed to focus on my health — both mental and physical — so I took a step back.

Sometimes you need to re-evaluate your life and see what’s working and what isn’t. 

It’s okay to take control, mama. You’ll see that you’ve got this.

If you need help waking up at a certain time, then I suggest setting an alarm on your phone. I have several ones throughout the day that help me accomplish things.

Yes, I even have an alarm for lunchtime. Otherwise, I’d forget to eat.

Sometimes you’re so busy caring for others that you forget how to take care of yourself. 

Try setting up different times to see which schedule works for you. I’m constantly reworking mine to fit my family’s schedule.

Minimize your screen time.

The first thing you should look into is someone’s eyes. 

Just kidding, but you get what I mean. 

Skip interacting with your phone as part of your morning routine.

Facebook can wait, and so can that annoying group chat that never seems to end.

Oh, yes, I don’t recommend on-going group chats. These chats can hurt your daily productivity and decrease your battery life.

By minimizing your screen time you’re giving yourself back time to focus on the essentials — whatever that might be for that day. 

Add meditation to your list.

You don’t need to sit in the same position for a long time to meditate. All you need is time to reflect on what you’d like to accomplish throughout the day.

Meditation gives you the internal power to overcome your negative thoughts. It helps with stress reduction, controls anxiety, and promotes emotional health. Experts recommend meditating in the early hours for at least 15 minutes daily can result in mental peace.

You can do this by journaling, reading affirmations, or praying. Whatever helps you cope with the madness later on in the day, that’s what you should be doing in the morning. 

Write down ideas.

As soon as you’ve thought about the things you’d like to accomplish throughout the day/week, it’s time to jot down ideas. Those ideas can reflect ways you’d like to tackle the things on your list.

Having a daily routine — or what I like to call the skeleton of your schedule — will help you accomplish more on your list.

Yes, you may have to adjust your schedule a couple of times in one month. However, some things will always remain the same.

For me, it’s sticking to working on my blog between 8 AM and 10 AM. 

Maintaining this daily work schedule helps me plan other things throughout the day, like last-minute things that may come up with the kids or my husband. 

Maintain a healthy lifestyle.

You don’t need to workout every day, but staying active and hydrating daily are essential. 

Sticking to healthy snack options throughout the day can help you focus on your fitness goals as well. 

This also ties into daily self-care for moms. You’re essential to your family and it’s important that you care for yourself as well as others.

By simply adding healthy lifestyle changes, you can live a happier life. Start exercising while working at home to bring flexibility to your body. Yoga is a good option. The right nutrition is also required to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Think about healthy snacks you can take on the go with the family.

Learn something new, daily.

Learning new skills or reading inspiring pieces can help you build on your knowledge. Aside from acquiring a new skill you can learn stories about empowerment that remind you of the power the mind possesses. People often forget how knowledge can be powerful. You can read a variety of books/articles on a daily basis to add value to your skillset.

Be sure to work on improving daily, and make sure your schedule reflects the things you’d like to accomplish. Success doesn’t come easy, but if you plan ahead, you’ll get there.

Tidy up your home.

I often joke that when my house is a mess, so am I. 

It’s not far from the truth. 

A women’s empowerment Facebook group for moms asked the question:

“Do you feel like you have to choose between having a clean house or a peaceful one? Which of those do you usually end up with?”

My response was: “I always choose both — clean and peaceful.” Most moms agreed and shared their reasoning. Honestly, there’s nothing more peaceful than a tidy space. Sometimes the best way to start the day is with a good clean. Not just your home, but yourself.

Once you’ve taken care of yourself — bathed and meditated — then you can properly tackle the things before you. Always clear your mind before starting a new day.

Weekend Morning Routine

Finding time during the week to juggle a number of responsibilities can get overwhelming. Sometimes your To-Do list spills into your weekend, leaving you with less time with your family. 

Just as it’s easy to create bad habits, you can easily create good ones as well. 

Whether you’re waking up earlier or not on Saturdays has nothing to do with how productive your day will be. 

Why? 

It’s because weekends are probably the best times to squeeze in self-care for yourself and your family. 
You can create a weekend routine that includes the following activities:

• Device-free early hours
• Decluttering your space
• Catching up on a show/book
• Taking a family walk
• Cutting your To-Do list in half
• Getting more sleep
• Socializing with friends and extended family

One thing I like to include in my weekend morning routine is to add ways to simplify my week. Whether I’m planning out meals for the new week or scheduling things for my blog, it’s important for me to get a head start on the weekends. 

This helps me know what to expect and discuss upcoming events with my family, as well as ways to tackle them.