5 Easy Ways I Sneak in Self-Care As a New Mom & 5 Activities That Make Me Feel My Best

You're doing a great job taking care of your baby, but don't forget to take care of yourself as well!

By: Jen Glantz

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Get Some You Time

As a first-time mom, it can be easy to give every part of yourself and every hour of your day to taking care of your baby. When I became a mom in March, I found that anything I did for enjoyment or to relax was paused indefinitely. Rather than finding the time to take care of myself, I pushed off doing anything that felt selfish. But after a few months, I started to see that my personality, mood, and even stress level wasn’t what I wanted it to be.

That’s when I sat down and mapped out self-care activities that have made me feel better in the past and started to find ways to implement those into my week as a new mom.

Here’s exactly what I did.

How I Sneak in Self-Care: I block off time when my baby is sleeping

At around four months, I started to notice a pattern in my baby’s daily schedule. She’d take a couple of naps a day that ranged from 30 minutes to 2 hours. I’d pick one of those nap times and block off the time to do a self-care activity.

As of now, her morning naps tend to be the longest. So if I’m doing an at-home workout or I’m eager to catch up with a friend, I’ll plan to do those activities during the morning nap times.

How I Sneak in Self-Care: I wake up an hour earlier in the morning

Once the baby wakes up in the morning, I find myself rushing around the house trying to manage so many to-do list tasks at once. I’m making sure she is cared for, cooking meals for the family, and trying to sneak some work in throughout the day.

If a few days go by and I haven’t found time for a self-care moment, I’ll set an alarm and wake up an hour before everyone else does. If the baby usually wakes up around 6, I’ll get up at 5 and take a solo walk, read a book, or do at-home yoga.

How I Sneak in Self-Care: I swap self-care time with my husband

While we don’t currently have any child care, I’m grateful that I do have a partner who helps me take care of our baby throughout the day. On Sunday night, we eyeball our calendars and find a chunk of time when each of us can take a solo adventure.

Last week, he took two hours to go see a movie and I took two hours to head to dinner with a friend I haven’t seen in a while.

Getting out of the house to do something for ourselves, even if it’s just once a week, makes a really big difference.

How I Sneak in Self-Care: I try to multitask

Trying to plan time for self-care as a mom can be tough since the day often becomes unpredictable. When I’m craving something calming and soothing, I’ll try to multitask as much as possible.

If the baby is taking a nap, I’ll use that time to get a household task done, like cooking dinner, but also put a podcast or audiobook on so I can do something nice for myself. Finding ways to integrate self-care into moments when you’re checking things off your to-do list is essential when you’re a busy mom.

How I Sneak in Self-Care: I bring the baby with me

When the week feels extra busy, I try to sneak some self-care activities in that I can bring the baby to as well. Recently, I've been taking the baby on an afternoon stroll around the park and using that time to chat with friends or invite them on the walk with me. I also found a local workout class for new moms that’s baby-friendly!

What Makes Me Feel My Best: Taking long walks

For many years, I’ve found the art of walking to be one of the best ways for me to clear my head, take deep exhales, and just feel better throughout the day. I like to find local paths, parks, or areas near water where I can walk for 30 minutes to an hour. At least once a week, I’ll try to take a solo walk so I can focus on relaxing. But during the week, I often take these long walks with my baby in the stroller and find that activity to be soothing for both of us.

What Makes Me Feel My Best: Booking a therapy appointment

Every week as a new mom comes with a set of challenges and emotions. While I can spend quality time trying to share these with my partner or friends, they don’t always know how to help me or what advice to share.

At least twice a month, I book an appointment with my therapist, for a 45-minute phone session. She’s someone who specializes in working with people postpartum and I find that speaking with her always yields actionable solutions and next steps for me to try.

What Makes Me Feel My Best: Chatting with a friend for 30 minutes

A lot of my close friends live in different states and I try to have at least one friend phone call a week for 30 minutes. A rule I have with my friends is that I only want to chat about life as a new mom for less than 5 minutes and spend the rest of the conversation chatting about other topics. That way, these conversations are able to take me out of my mom bubble for a little bit of time.

What Makes Me Feel My Best: Taking a workout class

I’ve always been an active person who really enjoys working out. Since finding the time is harder now that I’m a new mom, I still try to do this self-care activity at least three times a week. Sometimes, that means I’m doing a quick at-home workout before the baby wakes up and other times that means having my partner watch the baby so I can take a local class.

What Makes Me Feel My Best: Doing an activity I used to love

The first few months of being a new mom were tough because it felt like everything about my life had changed. Any hobbies or activities I enjoyed doing were paused and my entire focus was on figuring out how to take the best care of my child. But now that the baby is a little older (almost 5 months old), I’m starting to incorporate old things I used to enjoy back into my life. I love spending a few hours at a bookstore, taking a class, or writing a chapter of my new book. Even if I’m able to do one of these things every other week, it helps to bring back old activities as a way of regaining my personal identity again.

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5 Easy Ways I Sneak in Self-Care As a New Mom & 5 Activities That Make Me Feel My Best

Related To:

Shop This Look

Get Some You Time

How I Sneak in Self-Care: I block off time when my baby is sleeping

How I Sneak in Self-Care: I wake up an hour earlier in the morning

How I Sneak in Self-Care: I swap self-care time with my husband

How I Sneak in Self-Care: I try to multitask

How I Sneak in Self-Care: I bring the baby with me

What Makes Me Feel My Best: Taking long walks

What Makes Me Feel My Best: Booking a therapy appointment

What Makes Me Feel My Best: Chatting with a friend for 30 minutes

What Makes Me Feel My Best: Taking a workout class

What Makes Me Feel My Best: Doing an activity I used to love

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