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Whether you’re a first-time parent or a mother of three, you probably know all too well what it’s like to be overwhelmed by all you have to do during the day.

The results of a recent survey showed that, unsurprisingly, 92 percent of working moms and 89 percent of stay-at-home moms felt overwhelmed by their responsibilities. If you’re part of either of these groups, it’s important to find simple ways to relieve stress and practice self-care.

You don’t need to book a trip to the spa or a luxurious vacation to take care of yourself. There are lots of more affordable and more realistic options out there. Try one of these four simple tips to start making self-care a priority in your life.

Sneak Exercise into Your Day

Regular exercise is essential for both your physical and mental health. But, when you’re a busy mom, the idea of finding the time and energy for a workout often seems laughable.

If you can’t make it to the gym, that’s fine. You should be trying to move as much as possible throughout the day, though. Take your kids for a walk, or, when you go to the playground, play with them instead of watching from the sidelines.

You can also make naptime your designated workout time. There are lots of short workout videos available for free online, and many of them are specifically designed to be silent so you won’t have to worry about waking up your little ones with loud jumping.

Nourish Your Body

A healthy diet is another must for stressed-out moms. Not only will it give you the energy you need to take on each day, but, when you eat well, you also model good behavior for your kids.

Make sure you’re eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and high-quality meat and dairy products and avoiding refined sugar, soda, and other processed foods. That’s it — don’t overcomplicate things by trying to follow a specific diet.

If you feel like you don’t have time to cook healthy meals for yourself and your family, try setting aside a few hours on a weekend day to prepare meals for the week. That way, all you need to do when you’re hungry is pull a dish out of the refrigerator and pop it in the microwave.

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water, too, especially when you’re feeling fatigued. It’s tempting to reach for another cup of coffee during these moments, but that tiredness could actually be a sign of dehydration.

Practice Mindfulness

Many parents feel like it’s impossible for them to set aside 5-10 minutes to meditate on a regular basis. If you’re in this same boat, try to squeeze mindfulness moments throughout the day.

Mindfulness is all about paying attention to what you’re experiencing in the present moment, and you can do this without sitting on the floor with your eyes closed.

Some examples of mindfulness moments include:

• When you’re playing with your kids, really play with them — don’t be scrolling through social media or trying to pay bills at the same time.

• When you’re on a walk, don’t put your headphones in — pay attention to the scenery around you, take some deep breaths, and enjoy being outside.

• If you lie down with your kids to help them go to sleep, spend some time focusing on your breathing — this will help both of you feel more relaxed and ready for bed.

Be Proactive About Your Health

Don’t let your health suffer because you’re so focused on your kids. Some moms like to play the martyr, but there’s no medal for getting sick because you ignored your symptoms to take care of your children.

Make sure you’re scheduling regular checkups, mammograms, pap smears, vaccinations, vision screenings, and skin exams. Don’t forget your dental cleanings, either.

You should also be proactive and take care of any chronic conditions you suffer from.

For example, if you have rheumatoid arthritis, make sure you keep pain-relief cream on hand for fast-acting and long-lasting relief on stressful days. You don’t want to experience a flare-up and find that you don’t have anything on hand to help ease your pain.

Courtney P.

I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!

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