Everyone is talking about self-care these days and how important it is.

The term “self-care” is very broad and subjective and it can mean different things to different people.

For me, self-care is doing something for yourself that will benefit your body and/or your mind. Some people have the idea that they don’t have the time for self-care, but that is not true!

Self-care can take as little time as two minutes a day if you’re creative about it.

Self-care is not as extravagant as it may sound; you don’t need to go on a spa day or a weekend away to practice self-care! I’m a mother of two young boys, I work from home and I still manage to incorporate it into my daily schedule.

So, I’m going to share with you five ways I practice self-care, almost every day.

Set your alarm for 30 minutes before the kids wake up. I do this every day and it is so beneficial for my mind! It gives me a great start to the day, having those few minutes to wake up slowly with a hot cup of coffee. I can focus on myself and relax before I have to really get going with my busy schedule of school runs and dinner preparation, etc.

Read a book. Any time I get during the day I like to pick up my Kindle or a good book. Even if I only get to read a couple of pages, I feel instantly more relaxed and calmer. I know this may not be possible for everyone, and sometimes it’s not even possible for me. So, if you find you can’t find a few spare minutes in the day to read, read before you go to sleep! You’ll be surprised at how great you feel after escaping into another world.

Cooking a meal from scratch. There is something so mindful about preparing and cooking a meal for your family completely from scratch. I like to turn on an audiobook or a podcast while I’m cooking so I’m getting my self-care in whilst also cooking for my family.
 

Taking a bath or a shower. This is both a luxury and a necessity. Everyone has to clean themselves but as a mother, this can feel like such a luxury! You get time alone and away from the kids to collect your thoughts and to do nothing but look after yourself. I like to make this time feel more luxurious by lighting a candle, using a nice bath bomb or shower gel, and turning on a podcast. I feel instantly refreshed after it and I’m ready to get back to mom-life!

Journaling before bed. Every night before I go to sleep, I like to write out whatever is on my mind, to-do lists for the next day or just general thoughts. This helps to clear my mind and relax me before I go to sleep. This can take as little as 2 minutes out of your day and I find it really beneficial.
 
Written by Lauren Kennedy, staffwriter at FFHQ.