Self-care ideas on a budget can be difficult to come up with. Especially given our daily responsibilities and the many hats we wear, it’s more important than ever to make self-care happen. Even if it’s for only five minutes.
I mean, can I get five minutes to myself to use the bathroom without a handsome little toddler sticking his fat fingers under the door?
Or can I drink a cool glass of water without hearing an exasperated call, “Mama” followed by a quick hand movement suggesting that said toddler would like a sip too?
I mean, I love my kids, but they just don’t get it. They get little moments to themselves all day long.
You know how you’re sitting in the living room relishing the fact that it’s nice and quiet. No one is calling your name. And all seems to be right.
Except then you realize that quietness isn’t normal. Actually, it’s quite odd. Then you proceed to search frantically for them and when you find them they are covered from head to toe in your “good” lotion?
I know I’m not the only one. But anywho, this is not a rant. Motherhood has its good days and its crazy days. But despite the goodness and craziness, us moms have to take care of ourselves. If we don’t, it’s not good for anyone.
For the past three or four months, I’ve been taking back control. I’ve found a few ways to sneak in some self-care and it’s definitely possible to do self-care ideas on a budget. Today I wanted to share some of my ideas because I know you probably need them too. Just go check on Junior first before you settle in.
10 Self Care Ideas on a Budget for Busy Moms
1. Cheap exercising like taking a walk, going for a swim, or **cough** sex.
Ladies, we’ve got to move it to feel good. I feel absolutely terrible when I’ve been glued to a chair for hours. My back hurts…everything hurts!
You don’t have to join a gym. You don’t even have to go for a walk. Do things around the house like laundry, decluttering, or heck, just stand up. I prefer the standing up because who likes laundry?
2. Spend time outdoors.
Good ole vitamin D. We all need it. The sun provides plenty of it. We just have to go outside and partake in it. Walking to the mailbox counts in my book. Just get outside at least once a day.
3. Buy yourself an essential oil diffuser and your favorite scent. Or a candle will do.
I love using scents to evoke certain feelings. I use a candle at night before I meditate. It immediately relaxes me and my body knows when that smell is there, it’s time to relax and forget about today’s struggles.
4. Drink a gallon of water daily. Keep some bottled water or your gallon at your bedside and start as soon as you wake.
I was doing really well with this, but I need to replace my gallon jug asap. A gallon of water sounds like a lot, but once you get over the first few days of excessive peeing, you’ll quickly learn how hydrated you’ve probably been all your life. Your skin practically lights up, you sleep better, and you’ll notice those headaches are few and far between.
5. Meditate
I try to meditate every day. Even if it’s just for five minutes while holding a sleeping toddler who refuses to let me move. Meditating isn’t just about closing your eyes, it’s about mindfulness.
I either focus on those little objects moving around in my eyes (no I’m not crazy, close your eyes and see what I’m talking about) or I will focus on my breathing. If any thought pops into my mind while meditating, I’ll put it in an imaginary bubble and watch it float away.
6. Journal
I love writing and it’s hands down one of the best forms of therapy for me. I don’t journal every day, I do it when I’m compelled to or when I’m trying to work out a vision in my head.
If your days go from zero to one-hundred every single day, I would suggest doing this exercise each night before going to bed. All you need to do is visualize how you want your day to go and write it in your journal.
After a couple of weeks, take a look and see if your journaling is helping you live out the vision of your ideal day.
7. Eat a simple salad daily.
Your body needs vegetables, so why not create the best darn salad you can and eat it every day. For me, the less fuss, the easier it is to keep up with it.
That means a simple Caesar salad (heavy on the greens) would do. Keep chopped up vegetables in your refrigerator to make it easier.
8. Unfollow/unfriend anyone on social media that makes you feel icky.
I have a love/hate relationship with social media. I’ve always been into it. I was on Black Planet and I remember when Facebook first became available way back in ‘05. Back then you needed a college email address to join. However, over the years social media has gotten out of control.
Not only are people killing themselves over social media, some are doing it on social media. The things I see and learn about on Facebook were killing my vibe on a daily basis, so I went through and unfollowed EVERYBODY and unliked a bunch of pages.
Now the only things I see are positive things or something that makes me laugh. I’m ruthless when it comes to my headspace because I can’t let anything and everyone interrupt my peace. You should do the same!
9. Read a good book.
I learn so much from reading and it’s something I’m really grateful for. Plus, reading is cheap. Well, it can get expensive, but thanks to Kindle, it can be done affordably. I read at least two or three books a month. If you’re looking for a really awesome book to read, I just finished up this one. It was awesome!!
10. Splurge on the good lotion. You know, the kind that makes your skin feel like butta.
There are so many good brands of lotion and body butter on the market. They make your skin feel amazing, like this one I love from Shea Moisture. It smells so good!
Do you ever think about how you feel when your skin is all dry and crusty? Yeah, not a good feeling at all.
So do yourself a favor and splurge on your favorite lotion that will leave you feeling like the queen you are. And don’t forget to hide it from a little messy butt. There’s nothing worse than seeing your toddler bathing (and enjoying himself) in your good lotion.
Wrapping Thangs Up
See, this wasn’t so bad. You can take care of yourself despite a lack of time and limited budget. Take back a little authority and demand that you get your feel good on too.
Your body will love you for it and if you feel better, your kids and others will notice it too. You can’t take care of everybody else when you’re running on fumes.
So try a few of these self-care ideas on a budget. Just a little self-care could make all the difference in your world, mama.
