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Okay moms,

How does this sound?

I am officially declaring Sundays to be for self-care.

Our men get football on Sunday, and now we get twenty or thirty minutes (lucky if you can stretch it to an hour) of time for ourselves. Fair enough?

Listen, in my eight months of being a mom I have quickly learned that being a mother is A FULL-TIME JOB.

Whether you work at home..

or you work outside the home..

or you work is caring for these babies all day every day...

Motherhood never stops.

It never shuts down. It never closes at the end of the day or takes a weekend off.

But we, mamas, need to take care of ourselves, or we will burn to the ground. And what good will that serve the people closest to us?

One of my favorite quotes about self-care is "self-care is not selfish, it is necessary."

Viewing self-care as a necessity has made me feel less guilty about taking time for myself. I now know that when I take time to care for myself, I can then show up a much better version of myself to my husband and my kid.

And isn't that the goal?

So to encourage all you mamas out there to start taking a little time to yourselves - I bring you the self-care Sunday challenge along with this list of thirty self-care sunday ideas for moms!

On Sundays, I challenge you to take ten, fifteen, twenty minutes (or more if you can swing it) of your day to dedicate it to something on this list (or come up with your own self-care Sunday ideas).

And you know what, it doesn't have to be on a Sunday, mom. Mondays work, Wednesdays work, any-day-of-the-week that you can make it work, works. I just chose Sundays because .. honestly, self-care Sundays has a nice rhyme to it.

But also, it's important to choose a specific day. Mark it on your calendar. Write it down on your schedule. Let the husband, wife, significant other KNOW that on THIS day, at THIS time you will be taking some time to fill your cup.

I hope you enjoy this list.

I hope you are able to do a few of these each Sunday. But even if all you get to do is just ONE item off this self-care Sunday Challenge Ideas Checklist, that is a major win mama!

Next week we'll go for two - or at least, try! haha.

love + babies,

Jen

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1. Do something new or something you haven't done in a long time. Like, rollerblading or hula hooping or bike riding. How much fun were these activities as kids? I bet it's been years since you've rolled on some skates or grabbed a hula hoop.. let your inner child have some fun. Visit a local thrift shop and see if you can snag some cheap skates or find some online.

2. Read a fun fictional book. I love reading, but most of the books I'm into are about personal development and business. Sometimes that can burn me out. For self-care Sundays, I encourage you to maybe put down those self-help books and turn to something more light-hearted and fun like Harry Potter maybe?

3. Soak in an Epsom salt bath. If you think bubble baths are overrated, then try an Epsom salt soak bath. It is believed that the magnesium from these salts enters the body and can help relieve aches and pains- ya know, like the ones caused by chasing active little toddlers around all day? It can also help with inflammation, stress, and it may also soothe your skin.

4. Give yourself a manicure and/or pedicure (or go have one done). I rarely go to the nail salon to get my nails done but last Saturday I scheduled myself for a pedicure and eyebrow waxing.

I was gone for an hour and a half and enjoyed every minute that I sat on that reclined massage spa chair without interruption. I will for sure be doing that again soon. However, you don't always have to go to the spa. Put some music on, light a candle, and paint your own nails!

5. Watch a funny movie. No better way to get lost than in a film. Watch one of your childhood favorites, or something new, but keep it light and funny. Or not. You do you boo! This is your time. Here is a list of 150 classic comedies written by Rotten Tomatoes.

6. Do a 15 minute yoga flow. Yoga has so many benefits that I think you should be doing yoga more than just once a week (that's the yoga teacher in me talking) but if all you can do is one quick session your mental and physical body will thank you.

Yoga can help with aches and pains, it can loosen tight muscles, it can help relax you physically and mentally, it helps with stress, insomnia, and so much more. There are a ton of free yoga flows on Youtube but two of my favorites are Helen Cloots and Yoga With Adriene.

7. Do a sweaty work out. If yoga's not your thing, then maybe try a sweaty workout instead. Listen, self-care is not only bubble baths and flowers - it can also be hard challenging workouts that bring you to your knees. I love using the peloton app and the sweat app for workouts, but again, there are a ton of free videos on youtube.

8. Bake something fun. Okay, so cooking is usually a chore for us moms but baking a random fun (healthy) recipe that you've never made before is always exciting.

9. Take a stroll around your neighborhood. Do you walk around your neighborhood often? My husband and I started this practice pre-baby, and it was always one of the highlights of my day. We had fun looking at other houses, getting ideas for future projects, waving to neighbors that we rarely see and just enjoying the fresh air. Now with baby we don't do it as often, if at all, but it is something I am trying to bring back into our routine.

10. Make a painting. Even if you suck at it. Even you've never held a paintbrush in your life. Buy a cheap paint kit off of amazon, like this one for under $20 bucks that brings acrylics paint, paintbrushes and painting canvas.. grab a glass of wine or tea or kombucha and follow a fun Youtube tutorial and learn! I recommend The Art Sherpa's youtube channel for easy beginner tutorials. It'll be like painting with a twist, but in your own home! Your final painting may not look like a Picasso, but you know what, I bet you'll have fun.

11. Write your future self a letter. Writing your future self a letter is a great way for you to take some time to really give thought about who and where you want to be in the future. You can choose to write to your self five years down the line, or just 12 months into the future. You decide. Sit in a quiet space and give it some thought - who do you become in the future. Are you proud of her? Write to her. Let her know how you feel.

12. Now write your younger self a letter. Writing your younger self a letter is very therapeutic. You can't go back to the past and change things or avoid mistakes you may have made BUT you can forgive yourself for them. You can also tell your younger self that everything is going to turn out okay. Sit in a quiet space and really think about who you use to be, and how far you've come. Would your younger self be proud? Tell her everything is going to be okay and send her some love.

13. Take a spin class. If you are able to do so, attend a local spin class. Spinning is such a fun and invigorating activity! You're sure to leave class feeling energized and pumped! If you have your own bike at home, you can use free youtube videos or the peloton app.

14. Do a short meditation. Meditating works. As annoying as sitting still in complete silence can feel, it is necessary. Meditation has been proven to reduce stress, increase patience and tolerance (major skill needed with kids am I right?), reduces negative feelings and emotions and so much more. If you are a beginner, I highly recommend this 20-minute guided meditation by Dr. Wayne Dyer.

15. Take a bubble bath. Get yourself some non-toxic bubble bath liquid (I get mine from Whole Foods), fill your tub, light a candle, and grab a book. Sounds lovely doesn't it?

16. Gift yourself a massage. You don't have to go to a super expensive high end massage place - there are plenty of deals for massages on Groupon and Massage Envy has pretty good deals as well.

17. Make a gratitude list. Sometimes self-care is about stopping what you're doing and reminding yourself how lucky and blessed you truly are, even with all the chaos!

18. Do your hair. Okay maybe you do your hair everyday so this one's not really an act of self-care for you, but if you are anything like me, and you have crazy wild sorta-curly-wavy-super-frizzy hair all of them time and you only iron it or curl it once a month, then yes, doing your hair is an act of self-care. I just did mine today and I feel fabulous (and look it too 😉 ). Do your hair mama, it definitely makes you feel better.

19. Do your make up just for fun. Just like doing your hair, doing your make up, even if just for funsies at home can definitely boost your spirits, especially if make up is not something you do everyday. Find a fun youtube tutorial and make magic happen.

20. Turn off your phone. The other day I had my mother calling me, a missed call from my father, three texts from my mother-in-law and a dozen other messages from well-meaning friends. Just the thought of having to get back to all of them at that very instance made me freeze. Technology can be a beautiful thing - but If you aren't mindful about it can drain your energy. Self-care, for me, and for you, can look like turning off that busy phone (or putting it on silent or airplane mode for a while). I'll get back to everyone eventually, when I can. But it is important for me to disconnect.

21. Take a nap. I think this is my favorite one on this list. No explanation necessary. Sleep is essential - take a nap.

22. Give yourself a facial. A homemade face mask is a great way to remove toxins and give your skin some much needed TLC. Some of my favorite facial masks are mud clay masks and homemade coffee scrub masks (I'll share a recipe soon!)

23. Organize an area in your home. Wait, organizing? On self-care Sundays? Yes. For some of us clutter and disorganization leads to stress, anxiety, and overwhelming feelings. Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is, put some happy music on and get to work on cleaning these messes. You'll feel SO much better once things are organized.

24. Go on a shopping spree. Or go window shopping. But get out of the house! You don't have to spend money but walking around the stores can be therapeutic for some moms.

25. Take a craft class at Michael's or Joann's. This one is actually one of my favorite things to do, even though I've only ever taken one class but I do intend on taking more when the time is right. I took a sewing for beginners class at Joann's once and it was so much fun - I learned how to make a pillow. Get out of your comfort zone and take a crafty class.

26. Sit down with your journal and write. You can look up journal prompts online or simply just write whatever comes to mind - how are you feeling, what's weighing heavy on you, what are your dreams, and hopes for the future. Just write and the more you write the more will come out.

27. Spend time outside in nature. Maybe you live near the beach, or near the mountains, or a forest, river, or lake.. or just a pretty park with lots of trees. Science has proven that spending time near nature has such a positive impact on your mental health. Opt outside for your self-care day even if it's just for a 15 minutes getaway.

28. Hang out with a dear friend. We are social creatures and socializing is an important part in keeping our cup full. Some moms like alone time, others want to spend alone time with their bestie or an old friend and that is totally okay. Phone a friend, grab some lunch and have a good time catching up.

29. Make time for your hobby. Whatever that is. Maybe it's gardening, or jewelry making, or t-shirt design printing. Whatever it is that you enjoy doing for fun, take some time to do that.

30. Make yourself a hot chocolate, tea, or coffee.. kick your feet up and enjoy your home and your family. Do absolutely no chores at all for a day. Just relax! Play board games with the kids. The laundry, the dishes, and the sweeping won't last forever, but these memories you are creating with the people you love, will.

 

 

No more excuses mama.

You've got thirty self-care Sunday ideas to choose from now.

I challenge yourself to choose one or two every Sunday and take care of YOU!

And if you do any of the things on this list, will you do me a favor? Will you come back here and tell me how it went? How did you feel afterwards?

I'd love to hear all about your self-care Sunday.

 

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