Self care–such a basic concept but something so many of us moms stop once we become moms. We tend to shift our focus away from ourselves and instead focus on everyone else. That’s part of being a mom right? The fact of the matter is that if we don’t take care of ourselves then we probably won’t feel well enough to take care of the people we love in the best possible way. I was totally guilty of this!

Since it did happen to me I can be the first to admit that carving time for primary care can be really hard. Especially if you’re a working mom that is riddled with guilt about being away and then wants to do nothing more than spend time with their kids. Been there, done that.

So how exactly do you do that when your daily schedule is full? It can look very different for everyone depending on your interests. It doesn’t really matter what it is you’re doing as long as whatever it is makes YOU feel good and nurtured.

It took me a little time to figure out what I really wanted to spend time on that would make me feel like me again. We don’t want to spend time doing things we don’t really want to be doing in the name of “self care” because if you’re not really enjoying it you’re not really taking care of yourself.

A great thing to do is to make a “Primary Care Menu.” A whole list of things you can do, or want to try to nourish your soul and get you that special glow that you can only get from doing something you love. Some will probably require some alone time, some are things you can do once the kids are in bed. Find what works for you so you can stick with it.

Here are some of the things on my menu to give you some examples. Some are already a part of my life, some are things I want to bring back into my life and some are things I’ve always wanted to try but haven’t gotten around to yet.

Take an essential oil bath

Meditate

Journal

Do some yoga

Have a dance party

Take a knitting class

Play tennis

Read an uplifting book

Take a Jazzercise Class

Color in a coloring book

Scrapbook

Now that you’ve got some ideas, come up with a list that works for you and put it up somewhere you’ll see it every single day. Make it a priority to do something on your list every single day–even if that just means a 5-minute bath (without a small child!) or reading a couple of pages of an uplifting book.

Jacqueline Banks is a certified Holistic Health Counselor and online fitness coach. She works with women in all stages of motherhood, from mothers struggling with conception to those trying to get their grove back after pregnancy to ensure the best health and nutrition for both mom and baby.