Self-care looks different for everyone and that’s OKAY.
For me, self-care as a mom feels pretty nonexistent most days. Honestly, it usually just looks like sitting in silence, which I absolutely love. But navigating the trenches of toddlerhood means my days start before 7 a.m., naps are short, and bedtime doesn’t happen until close to 8 p.m.
In “mom world,” that gives me about one nap window as “me time” and maybe two hours in the evening.
Here’s what that actually looks like:
- As soon as my toddler goes down, I do a quick “10-minute tidy.” That basically means running around picking up toys, tossing trash, putting things back where they belong, and making sure tomorrow-me won’t wake up to a chaotic house.
- Then I grab whatever scraps and leftovers are around from the day (because who has time for a fresh meal at 9 p.m.?).
- After that, I shower and do my skincare routine, my little nightly ritual.
By the time I finish all that, I’m completely depleted and ready for bed. Boom. The whole day is gone, and I’ve maybe had a grand total of 1.5 hours of peace.
And here’s the thing: house maintenance is NOT self-care for me. Self-care is going to the movies, enjoying brunch, going out to dinner, or doing something that feels like an adventure. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good couch-rotting session, but now that I technically can do it whenever, it’s lost its charm. Instead, it leaves me feeling worse, not better, and I hate that.
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