Do you ever get the feeling that you want to run and leave everything behind? Do you yearn for a one childless night of total peace and quiet? If the answer to these questions was yes, don’t worry. Feeling overwhelmed by your life doesn’t make you selfish or uncaring. It just means you’re a mum.

 

Here at Conturve, we believe that mums are superheroes. They are the ones who soothe the wounds and wipe away the tears. But all this healing and nurturing others can leave us mums feeling a bit emotionally strung out. That’s where self-care comes in.

If you don’t already have a self-care routine in place, trust us when we say you need one. All mums should be taking the time out of their hectic schedule just to sit back and focus on themselves.

So to help you create that routine (and stick to it!), we got our top 5 self-care tips for mothers!

Cut back on social media

In so many ways, social media is great. You can stay in contact with friends and family who live far away, and you can stay in the loop about the world’s many current events. But too much social media exposure can leave you feeling drained and mentally low.

Studies show that those who use social media too frequently experience less satisfaction in their life and can end up feeling more socially isolated. And this makes sense. The content we see on Instagram and Facebook is generally a perfectly polished, airbrushed version of people’s lives; it’s not reality.

It’s no wonder we end up feeling unsexy and insecure about our bodies or even inadequate as mums. The internet only shows us gorgeous mothers with fabulous figures balancing a household, several kids, and somehow an entire business.

 

 

So, one of the best self-care tips for any mums struggling with feeling burnt out or insecure is to cut back on how much social media you consume and stop following people whose content only serves to make you feel worse about yourself.

Instead, use your social media apps to find the content you connect with and that makes you feel good about yourself. Follow mums who keep it real about their challenges or confident women who kick normative beauty standards to the curb. Trust us; you’ll feel better for it!

 

Make a time and commit to it

A self-care routine is precisely that—a routine. Like any hobby or practice, you need to stick to it if you expect it to work. That’s why you need to carve time out of your schedule every day to spend a moment on yourself.

It doesn’t have to be an hour a day – Lord knows, us mums don’t have that kind of luxury with our time. But, even just 5 to 10 minutes here and there to sit down to meditate, write in a journal, or even take a nap can genuinely make a difference to your sense of peace and mental wellbeing.

Whilst time may be scarce, do try and find a timeslot in your week that the whole family recognises as your time. Get your partner to take the kids out for an hour or find 30 minutes when all the little ones are all preoccupied with after school lessons or naptime, and make that your “you time”.

 

 

Spend this weekly moment doing things that you find truly relaxing, such as taking a long hot soak in the tub or doing a face and hair mask (for other easy, quick self-care ideas, check out our DIY home spa blog!). And, if you are really struggling to find the time to yourself, incorporate your self-care schedule into your current routine.

Wash your face every morning? Pop on a face mask as well. Stay up watching TV after the kids are in bed? Switch that TV off and spend your last few waking moments writing in a journal. Little changes like these will make a big difference in helping you find moments of self-care and relaxation throughout your day without you having to make that extra time up elsewhere!

 

Go outside every day

A simple way to incorporate your self-care schedule into your normal day to day is by getting outdoors and breathing in the fresh air. You can take a detour through a park as you head to the shops, or you could even enjoy your morning coffee in the garden, depending on the weather, of course!

But being in nature isn’t just about enjoying the freshness of the outdoors. It can actually improve your mental health. In fact, studies have even shown that exposure to nature can help relieve stress, boost your mood, and sharpen your cognitive functions!

 

 

Not to mention, the great thing about this self-care activity is that you can enjoy it with your children. For instance, you can take your children on a walk in the park or bring a blanket into the garden for a fun picnic amongst the greenery. That way, both you and your family can learn to understand the importance of nature and the importance of self-care!

 

Start writing down your anxieties

As a mum, one of the biggest mental battles we have to contend with is anxiety. We are anxious about our kids getting ill, how well they are doing at school, or whether they are getting along with their classmates. And that’s without worrying about money and work!

Spending a few minutes every day to write down your anxieties can be very cathartic when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Writing down all your thoughts on a piece of paper is an activity that psychologists have coined expressive writing. Studies show that this type of free-flowing writing can help your brain offload some anxiety and make you feel more capable of tackling your problems.

 

 

This is an especially useful practice to do before you go to sleep. If you’re anything like us, the moment your head hits the pillow your mind decides to start racing with all your anxious thoughts about things you still need to do or things you should have done better. Of course, this is pretty normal, but it can be a bit of a nightmare.

To keep the anxious thoughts at bay and help you get a peaceful night’s sleep, keep a small notepad by the side of your bed to empty out all your concerns before you fall asleep. By doing this, you will be telling your brain that you are not forgetting about these issues but simply writing them down to come back to in the morning.

 

Treat yourself to a special gift

When was the last time you bought something for yourself? Well, it’s time to change that. Mums do so much for their families; they deserve a little gift every now and then.

 

 

At Conturve, we’ve designed our entire shapewear collection with hardworking women in mind. Every lady should feel empowered in their body and confident in their curves. There is no such thing as an imperfect body, and it’s our mission to show all your busy mums out there that you can look and feel incredible with exactly what you’ve got!

 

 

From shaping bras that take all the irritation and discomfort out of wearing a bra to stylish body shaper leggings that will have you feel supported, cute, and comfy as you go about your day, we’ve got the perfect shapewear fit waiting for you!

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry. Take a glance over our Beginner’s Guide to Shapewear to answer all your control wear queries!