We know we need self-care, but don’t know where to begin! This list of Daily, Weekly & Monthly Self-care Ideas for Moms is the perfect starting point!

Self-care for Moms is a topic that’s often discussed, and we know it’s important. “Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others” or “Everything works when it’s switched off and then switched on.” We’ve all heard these many times, but when it comes to being practical about self-care, we fail.

Self-care refers to caring for one’s health, happiness and well-being. Unfortunately, a study found that 78% of mothers place themselves last – after their kids, partners, elders, and even pets!

With International Self-care Day coming up on 24th July, we think this is a good time to remind ourselves that self-care is not just important for Moms – it is easy. When you’re well cared for, you become a better version of yourself and you can perform better in all your roles – especially motherhood!

So here are 30 easy and doable self-care ideas for Moms, sorted into activities you can do daily, weekly and monthly. We’ve also included some estimates for the cost and time involved, so you can decide which ones suit your current lifestyle and plan for them accordingly.

30 Easy and Doable Self-care Ideas for Moms

Daily Self-care Ideas for Moms

1. Eat first

Most Moms across the world wait to eat till after their kids eat. While I understand that Moms think they can eat in peace once they know the kids are fed, quite often this backfires. Kids are picky eaters and can take a while to finish a meal, while the Mom gets hangrier by the minute! So if you tend to do this, do yourself and your children a favor – eat first. This way, you will be able to stay calm and enjoy your little one’s mealtime messes.

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 10 minutes

2. Take a walk

Taking a walk is one of the easiest and most effective forms of self-care. And you don’t have to do a full hour – even a five-minute stroll counts. You can increase the time if you can, and you can adjust the speed to your comfort. Walking is also something you can do with your children, and if you can do it outdoors, even better!

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 5-30 minutes

3. Meditate or pray

Parenting is a chaotic journey, and it can lead to anxiety and overwhelm. That’s why self-care ideas for Moms are so important – they help to ground you and calm your nerves. Meditation is a great way to achieve this, as is prayer. If you pray, do it mindfully, completely focusing on it. If you’d rather meditate but don’t know where to start, check out guided meditations on YouTube or on apps like Calm and Headspace.

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 5-15 minutes

4. Read

Reading is often associated with gaining knowledge, and while that is true, it’s also a great way to de-stress and escape into another world, at least temporarily! Since we already spend so much time in front of screens, we recommend diving into a paper book, for the ultimate therapeutic benefits. You probably already have many unread books lying around; if not, go ahead and borrow from the library or from a friend, or buy secondhand.

Approximate cost: Rs. 150-500
Approximate time needed: 10-30 minutes

5. Keep a journal

Have you heard the saying that a Mom’s brain is like having ‘multiple tabs open on a browser’? It can be hard to make sense of things when there’s so much running through your head, which is why journaling is a great self-care idea. Put down all your thoughts on paper – doesn’t matter what order it is in. That simple act of writing can help your brain process your thoughts, especially if you do it before bed. All you need is a blank notebook, but if that sounds overwhelming, try out a guided journal.

Approximate cost: Rs. 0-500
Approximate time needed: 10-15 minutes

6. Get dressed

If you are a stay-at-home or work-from-home Mom, you may be spending the entire day in your pajamas. Yes, it may sound like the path of least resistance, but it does something to your self-esteem. Try taking just a few minutes to put on something nicer, add some jewelry, do some skincare and brush your hair. It’s one of those self-care ideas for Moms that often gets ignored, but once you do it, you’ll realize the impact it has on your mood and your life.

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 15 minutes

7. Recite affirmations

If you haven’t been feeling great about yourself lately, maybe you need a little pick-me-up; and you’re the best person for it! You need to be your own cheerleader, and affirmations are a great way to start. You can tell yourself these affirmations as soon as you wake up, or when you’re getting ready in front of the mirror, or when you’re having your morning cuppa. If saying it out loud feels weird, maybe you can write it down.

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 2 minutes

8. Listen to an inspiring podcast

One of the wonderful things about living in this day and age is the amazing array of podcasts we have to choose from. There are podcasters from all walks of life, and you’re sure to find someone whose words you resonate with. The best part is that you can listen to it while you’re doing your daily chores or exercise, and you don’t need to set aside time for it.

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 10-15 minutes

9. Have a bedtime skincare routine

You should ideally have a separate morning and nighttime skincare routine, but if you have nothing currently, let’s start with bedtime! Before you go to bed, take a few minutes to cleanse your skin, apply moisturizer or night cream and really massage it in. Follow up with some hydrating lip balm and hand cream and you’ll feel ready for a good night’s sleep. You don’t need to buy anything special for this – your normal cleanser and moisturizer will do.

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 10-15 minutes

Weekly Self-care Ideas for Moms

10. Put on a face mask

Once a week, maybe every weekend, treat your skin to some TLC with a mask. This can be either in the form of a sheet mask, if you’re really short on time, or a face pack that you apply. You can make a face pack with items already lying in your kitchen – oats, milk, banana, honey, yogurt, lemon and more! Leave it on for a while to really get those benefits – maybe read a magazine or watch TV to completely relax.

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 15-20 minutes

11. Give yourself a home manicure

Your hands work really hard, especially as a Mom! They also reveal a lot about you, so treat them well with an at-home manicure you can do yourself. It can be a simple routine of cutting your nails, filing them or shaping them, soaking your hands and finally moisturizing. If you want, you can also add some pretty nail paint for some extra oomph. A hand cream is an extra expense, but it can greatly improve the health of the skin on your hands.

Approximate cost: Rs. 250-500
Approximate time needed: 15-20 minutes

12. Exercise

I know you don’t want to hear this, but it is actually the best among all self-care ideas for Moms! Exercise improves sleep, reduces anxiety, increases energy and of course, gives you the extra strength to lift your little monsters. Juest 3-4 times a week is sufficient to reap these benefits.

There are several ways to move your body, like yoga, pilates, cardio, stepping or dance. Whatever you want, you’re sure to find a tutorial on YouTube, completely for free. However, you may need to spend on gear like dumbbells, shoes, a yoga mat or a sports bra.

Approximate cost: Rs. 500-2500
Approximate time needed: 15-30 minutes

13. Call a friend

Once you become a Mom, your life tends to revolve around the little people you’ve borne. As a result, old connections fall by the wayside, but you can still revive them. Schedule a weekly call with a friend you haven’t talked to in a long time. Let it be someone who won’t stress you out or judge you – this is supposed to be self-care! Messaging is great, but a real talk on the phone is something else altogether.

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 5-15 minutes

14. Get involved in a hobby

Every week, find some time – maybe a couple of days a week if you can – to engage in something creative. It could be something you did a long time ago or something completely new. Whether it’s knitting, painting, photography or baking, spend a little time every week tapping into that side of yourself and enjoy the joy of simple creating, making mistakes and learning.

Approximate cost: Depends upon the hobby
Approximate time needed: 20-30 minutes

15. Re-watch an old favorite

There’s something comforting about watching an old TV show you enjoyed many years ago. Don’t worry about it not being as much fun during a re-watch; you’ll still enjoy it! This applies to TV shows and movies, and thanks to the umpteen streaming platforms today, everything is available at the click of a button. Just remember not to overdo it by binge-watching and sacrificing your sleep!

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 30 minutes – 3 hrs

16. Stretch

If you’ve been wondering if your body is telling you that you’re growing old, I can assure you that it is asking you to stretch! Stretching should ideally be done every day, but if you can manage it a few times a week, you can still gain from it. Find a stretching video on YouTube and do a few stretches – either as soon as you wake up or just before bed – or both!

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 5-10 minutes

17. Enjoy a treat guilt-free

Eating healthy is an important part of self-care, and we recommend you plan your meals accordingly. However, it’s okay to indulge yourself once in a while, and a weekly treat seems like a good balance. When you’re limiting yourself to just once a week, you can enjoy it completely, without any guilt or judgment!

Approximate cost: Rs. 200-500
Approximate time needed: 10-15 minutes

18. Tidy Up

Tidying up? I thought this was about self-care ideas for Moms!! The last thing that anyone would think of as self-care is housework, but this is different. This is just about doing a quick tidy of your rooms, like clearing up surfaces, throwing out trash and removing clutter. It doesn’t take long, can be done to music and most importantly, makes you feel great when done!

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 10-20 minutes

Monthly Self-care Ideas for Moms

19. Get a home pedicure

While we may often get a good look at our hands, the same cannot be said about our feet. Our poor feet carry our weight (and our kids’ weight) all day, and rarely get any special care. So give yourself a home pedicure. Start by soaking your feet in a tub with bath salts or a foot soak and then scrubbing away your calluses with a pumice stone. Brush your feet and toenails and then clip your nails. Finally, pat dry and apply a thick moisturizer. If you like, you can also paint your nails – just to be a little extra!

Approximate cost: Rs. 200-500
Approximate time needed: 20-30 minutes

20. Book a salon treatment

Once a month, treat yourself to a session at the salon. It can be a basic facial, a hair spa or a hair removal session, or you can do a full mani-pedi. Getting treated by someone else makes you feel pampered and cared for – which can be considered an indirect form of self-care!

Approximate cost: Rs. 2000-3000
Approximate time needed: 45 minutes – 1 hour

21. Go through old photos

Going through old photos isn’t just a nice feeling, it’s also a good opportunity to clean up your phone! When you’re a Mom, you’re likely to have multiple pictures of the same pose, along with all the random clicks by your kids – mostly of their nostrils. Take some time out once a month to go over the previous month’s memories and also delete the duplicates.

Approximate cost: 0
Approximate time needed: 15-20 minutes

22. Go on a coffee date with yourself

Dating is supposed to be an opportunity for two people to get to know each other better, so it’s only fair that you date the most important person in your life – yourself! It doesn’t have to be this elaborate thing – just go to a coffee shop you like and buy yourself a nice beverage and a snack. Sit there, and enjoy your little treat while you scroll on your phone or read a book – now that’s true luxury!

Approximate cost: Rs. 300-500
Approximate time needed: 1 hour

Occasional Self-care Ideas for Moms

23. Declutter your wardrobe

It’s high time we women stop hoarding clothes that we hope to fit into ‘some day’. Seeing those clothes every time you open your wardrobe can bring you down, and you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life. Sometimes, self-care ideas for Moms include letting things go, and that applies to anything in your wardrobe that doesn’t fit or doesn’t make you feel great about your body.

24. Go shopping (or window shopping)

I’m not a fan of rampant consumerism, but I do admit that sometimes retail therapy does lift my spirits! There’s something fun and exciting about wandering the shops, looking at pretty things and trying them on – even if you don’t really buy anything. It also gives you an idea about the latest trends and styling ideas which you can use for yourself later.

25. Go for lunch or dinner with your girlfriends

It’s really hard for Moms to be friends, with kids schedules dictating everyone’s availability. But when you can, make a plan with your gal pals to catch up and make a day out of it. Go to a nice restaurant without the kids and be yourselves the way you all were before becoming Moms. If your friends aren’t available, you can even do this with your sisters or cousins.

26. Get a makeover

For many of us, Mom-style means putting practicality and comfort at the forefront, and that is perfectly understandable. But you need to occasionally remind yourself that you’re still beautiful and hot! Give yourself a makeover by getting a new haircut or hair color. Find an occasion or event to glam up for, and be sure to take some great pictures so you can look at them later and smile!

27. Get a massage

All that bending, lifting, kneeling and running can create multiple knots in your body, as does all the stress you go through. A good massage once in a while can really ease them out, and make you feel absolutely amazing. Yes, massages can be expensive, but you don’t have to do them every month. It can be a treat for birthdays or anniversaries, or whenever you feel you really need one.

28. Rearrange your room

Our spaces can affect our mood, which is why redoing your interiors is one of the easy self-care ideas for Moms. You can shop your home for decor or plants, and simply rearrange your pieces in your room. Even changing the layout of your furniture can make it feel like a completely fresh and new space.

29. Plan a vacation

Post the pandemic, it seems like people are still on their ‘revenge-travel’ sprees. You probably have a few bucket list places you’d like to visit. Choose a place from that, and plan out a full trip, including places to see, foods to try and things to do. You don’t even have to book the tickets or anything – think of this as a window-shopping technique for a dream vacation! Studies show that the anticipation of a vacation is actually more joyous than the actual journey, so this way you get to enjoy the fun and excitement without spending a dime!

30. Volunteer

Here’s more proof that self-care isn’t selfish – serving others actually makes you feel better. Volunteering at an NGO or other organization near you can really put your troubles into perspective and make you feel good about contributing something to making the world a better place. It’s also an excellent example for your kids, so be sure to involve them too.

How to Find Time for Self-care as a Busy Mom

1. Wake up earlier – Set your alarm clock just 15 minutes earlier to get some quiet, uninterrupted time in the morning to practice any of the self-care ideas mentioned above.

2. Make use of naptime – Don’t use naptime for chores. Do your chores while your kids are awake, get them involved too. When they nap, use that time for something fun or creative, like a hobby.

3. Set a schedule – Since both parents require some time for self-care, set a schedule. For example, Saturday for one parent and Sunday for the other. Or Saturday morning for Mom and Saturday evening for Dad.

4. Rope in your friends – If you have Mom friends, trade babysitting services with each other. One Mom can take care of all the kids on the first Saturday of the month, while the other Mom gets the kids for the next Saturday and so on.

5. Ask family for help – People are often willing to help – bu you need to ask! Check with your family members’ schedules and ask them if they can babysit on certain dates – it’ll be hard to find a grandparent, aunt or uncle who says No!

Please remember that while these self-care ideas for Moms offer lots of tips, it’s important to first get the three basics right – good sleep, nutritious food, and lots of water. Don’t worry if you still can’t manage to do any of the items listed here – even taking a nap is self-care!

Never feel guilty about not being perfect, and give yourself grace so you can try again and get better. If you find yourself always feeling anxious or depressed and if the self-care tips aren’t working, you may need professional help. Please reach out to an expert and get the care that you need and deserve.