30 Moms Share How They Sneak In ME Time During The Week

By now we all know that self-care for moms is a necessary part of life – but what may be hard to figure out is just how exactly to sneak it in. Whether you’re a stay at home mom, work full-time out of the home mom or a combo of the two (like me) you know just how hard it is to find those extra minutes for yourself. So I polled The Mama Notes Inner Circle (join here) and asked them to share how they manage to find time for themselves during busy weeks. I LOVE these ideas!!

 

I get up early! I wake up with enough time to work out, get ready, and get the baby’s stuff ready for daycare. That way once I get him up I’m not stressed.

I wake up earlier than the first feeding + maximize nap time.

Pumping at work is my chance to catch up on the internet.

Working out. Or wine.

My husband will do preschool drop off, so I get to work early. I then will leave work early and get an hour to workout, go to Target by myself, get a pedicure, whatever it is I’m in need of most!

I’m a single mom, and my son and I live with my mom. Solo time is hard, but I usually try and take my dog on a couple of walks a week while my mom and son watch Seasame Street.

Early morning exercise! I pump first thing and it is tough to miss the morning snuggles but it is so good for me to get some time to myself.

Still trying to figure this out ;-) I got my hair cut on my lunch break last week and it felt so luxurious.

I try for lunch workouts on Friday while my daughter is at Daycare, or leave her with Dad on Saturday’s to get my nails done.

I am a full time working momma whose husband works ridiculously long hours so morning and evening routine are all on me. I eat dinner at the counter while my daughter eats and I get everything together for the next day. It’s not the most ideal situation for some but I would rather so that and have everything done by the time I get her to bed so I can have an hour or so before I pass out to lounge and watch a show with some chocolate.

Having a trusted sitter once/week is invaluable!

I make myself sit down and read during the morning nap time instead of racing around the house trying to get chores done.

I work in an office full-time so I definitely treat myself to coffee or lunch out most days of the week, plus a monthly pedicure at a spa nearby during lunchtime. I also often get into bed and “Netflix and chill” as soon as my daughter goes to sleep and our kitchen/living room is reasonably tidied up.

The Balanced Life’s Pilates Sisterhood, and reading books on the kindle app on my phone!

… Still trying. I do go to a yoga class a week and husband minds both kiddos.

Once my husband comes home from work he’s on full baby duty and I use that time to meet up with friends or run errands. I work from home so sometimes me time is work time and it’s totally fine too.

Nap time! I set a timer for 30 minutes and complete all those things that I didn’t get a chance to take care of while the baby was awake – like the dishes, laundry, brushing my teeth, etc. Once the timer goes off, I switch to free time! I read a book, watch a show, catch up on social media, etc. Another way I sneak in time for myself is schedule those self care (hair, nails, whatever) in advance! If it’s on the calendar, I will be less likely to skip out. I also take time in the evenings to make sure I do my skincare routine every night after the baby goes to bed.

Naptime! And using the childcare at my gym to work-out.

I used to do yoga at least 4 times a week before having my baby, even while pregnant, but I can’t make it to the studio anymore and by the end of the day I’m not motivated to rollout my mat. Also I felt I needed something more active so I invested in a stationary bike and download the Peloton App and after putting baby to sleep at night I do a 30-min ride and I feel SO good after!

I have one night a week I do my bath & mask. I try to schedule a few date nights every month to spend time with my husband & friends.

Scheduling it in advance.

My showers at night post-bedtime routine are my sacred time. I put on a mask and have a glass of wine with chocolate in my robe.

I got both my girls on the same nap schedule! 🙏🏻

I make it a priority to go the gym every day. It is my one hour where I do not think about my infant and let my brain relax. If I don’t get this time in, I am not my best self.

Walking to/from my gym class is about a mile so that is podcast time or social phone calls for me. And showering at night means I can spend a few more minutes with my coffee during the morning chaos!

I try to take advantage of one nap a day and do something for me. It could be reading, sitting in the sun, watching a show or taking a longer shower.

Listening to podcasts in the car! And treating myself to a latte and chick FIL a (not at the same time) once a week.

I always relax during the baby’s nap- I let our son watch a cartoon. I used to try to be very productive but it left me fried. Now I read or nap or watch silly tv or yoga! It’s me time.

I’m a SAHM, and I’m trying to be better about squeezing in a workout or me time while my daughter naps during the day, and save chores like folding laundry for the evening instead. I used to always do housework all day, then be too tired to workout, or paint my nails, in the evening. This way, I’m more likely to actually get my time.

Meet with a few other moms every other week. It doesn’t feel like too much since it’s not weekly but it’s regular so I always have it to look forward to.

I try to sign up for a moms-only hiit workout offered through Fit4Mom and I have my mom and mother-in-law come over once each week to watch my daughter while I go to those classes.

I wake up before everyone in family (usually around 5:00 AM) and workout. If I can, I try to read before bed, too.