I wrote a post similar to this a few years ago after I had Liam, but I wanted to revisit the subject now that I am 4 years into being a mom. Having two young kids; Liam is 4 and a half, and Charlotte will be 2 in November- Life can get really hectic. Going from one kid to two kids is A LOT. Not to mention I do work full-time on the blog. Which yes is a full-time job. It has no off days and no set hours. Which can be great but also means I feel like I am always on. I want to share today how to make time for yourself as a new mom because I feel like too often as moms we don’t take care of ourselves enough.
How To Make Time For Yourself As A New Mom
Communicate what you need: I feel like so often we hold things in as women. We feel like we need to take care of everyone and everything else. For me, I communicate with Andrew when I really need time to myself. Sometimes this is a solo trip to run errands, a workout class, a massage, or just time in another room.
Schedule it when you can: It may not always be exactly when you want but sometimes a window opens up at an odd time and you have to jump on it. Other times it may be easy to schedule it. Take it and schedule it when you can!
Learn to say no to things that don’t fill your cup: This is the hardest for me. I am a people pleaser by nature and I hate saying no. But now having 2 kids, a business, a husband, and other important people/things in my life I have to just say no to things that don’t make me happy, fill my cup, and bring joy to my life. It’s hard but it must happen.
Get up earlier: Maybe I’m weird but I thrive on waking up early. I love to get up by 6 and get things done. Sometimes even earlier than that. I love being productive in the morning and if your kids don’t get up till 7/730 it’s a great time to get in a workout, read, watch a show you want to watch, eat breakfast alone, etc. I have been sticking to morning workouts for a while and if you need a great list of ones to do at home I have a whole post on it.
Know that every week will not look the same: Not every week is going to look the same and some weeks you may get lots of time to yourself and some weeks not any at all. That’s OK! Just try to embrace the time you do get to yourself and enjoy the other moments with your family.
Multitask it: For me, this is watching a show while I eat, listening to a Podcast while I workout, etc. Sometimes doing 2 things at once you love is the only way. I’ll do a face mask while I fold laundry, etc.
Do things in advance: Meal prepping and planning, laying clothes out for everyone the night before, packing the diaper bag in advance, making snacks and lunches, etc. All of these things save time. So doing them in advance is SO helpful!
Do you find it easy or hard to make time for yourself as a new mom?
This post was written in 2020 and has been updated for 2021
The saying I always think of as a busy mom is “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” So if mom is tired/exhausted/stressed, she can’t give to everyone else. Most days I try to wake at about 5:15 so I have time to get in a workout, shower, and possibly a bit of journaling before my boys wake at 6:30 to start getting ready for school. I also just started doing a weekly yoga class again and that is ah-maz-ing for me!
Very good advice. My kids are grown, but I try to do more things in advance to free up more time I can spend on myself. Motherhood is a challenge, and the best way to breeze through our days is just to take it easy and not overly stress ourselves out. Planning is the key.
As a new mom, Sometimes it is really hard to adjust and it is really hard to take care of ourselves since our first priority is our child. We really need to have time for ourselves. The list you provided is very helpful. I love it
I found it really difficult to find time for myself when I was a new mom, I can’t imagine how it’s with 2 or more little kids. I think communication and doing things in advance are the key!
I am not a mom so my schedule isn’t as busy as yours. Nevertheless, I follow many of these steps including multitasking, getting up early and saying ‘no’ to things that don’t make me happy.
Scheduling Me time was successful for me when I had my twins plus, I returned to work after a while. It does take commitment to ensure that self-care is part of mothering.
My son is 4 and I’m still learning how to make time for myself! I’m definitely getting better at it but it’s difficult for me to say no so my schedule is always full.
I thrive on getting up early too. A set morning is the perfect thing for me. I wish more of the moms I know would set better boundaries, it’s a good thing to do.
Very good advice. My kids are grown, but I try to do more things in advance to free up more time I can spend on myself. Motherhood is a challenge, and the best way to breeze through our days is just to take it easy and not overly stress ourselves out. Planning is the key.
I’m not a mum but I like the rules you’ve set for yourself – alone time is so important! Thanks for sharing! ❤️✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Learning to say no is definitely a big one for me. I hate feeling like I’m letting people down, so I tend to say yes to way too many things!
The saying I always think of as a busy mom is “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” So if mom is tired/exhausted/stressed, she can’t give to everyone else. Most days I try to wake at about 5:15 so I have time to get in a workout, shower, and possibly a bit of journaling before my boys wake at 6:30 to start getting ready for school. I also just started doing a weekly yoga class again and that is ah-maz-ing for me!
Very good advice. My kids are grown, but I try to do more things in advance to free up more time I can spend on myself. Motherhood is a challenge, and the best way to breeze through our days is just to take it easy and not overly stress ourselves out. Planning is the key.
As a new mom, Sometimes it is really hard to adjust and it is really hard to take care of ourselves since our first priority is our child. We really need to have time for ourselves. The list you provided is very helpful. I love it
I found it really difficult to find time for myself when I was a new mom, I can’t imagine how it’s with 2 or more little kids. I think communication and doing things in advance are the key!
I am not a mom so my schedule isn’t as busy as yours. Nevertheless, I follow many of these steps including multitasking, getting up early and saying ‘no’ to things that don’t make me happy.
Scheduling Me time was successful for me when I had my twins plus, I returned to work after a while. It does take commitment to ensure that self-care is part of mothering.
My son is 4 and I’m still learning how to make time for myself! I’m definitely getting better at it but it’s difficult for me to say no so my schedule is always full.
What an amazing post! My bestie is a new mommy so I think I must share this post with her. The tips are super helpful ☺
I thrive on getting up early too. A set morning is the perfect thing for me. I wish more of the moms I know would set better boundaries, it’s a good thing to do.
Very good advice. My kids are grown, but I try to do more things in advance to free up more time I can spend on myself. Motherhood is a challenge, and the best way to breeze through our days is just to take it easy and not overly stress ourselves out. Planning is the key.
THANKS FOR SHARING
it is really beneficial to me …. keep it up..
Getting up earlier and doing things in advance were the biggest game changers for me as a new mom. They still are!
Very nice info i like it thank you so much