30 Day Self Care Challenge for Stay at Home Moms

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30 Day SAHM Self Care Challenge

You guys! It’s here! I am beyond excited to start my 30 day self care challenge for stay at home moms with you!! Each day we will be giving ourselves some love in easy to follow ways. You can get my free printable below for this challenge to help you follow along! I’ve even made a version for Instagram so we can work the challenge together there.

Why is self care important?

Self care is beyond important for everyone, but even more so for overworked moms. In order to give your child the best mother you can be, you have to be able to unwind, even in small ways. Taking time for yourself isn’t selfish or self serving. In fact, I would argue that you are doing your child a disservice by never taking time for yourself.

Taking time to do things that make you happy or give you a chance to relax helps you come back to your family feeling calmer, more centered, and overall happier.

How can I find time for self care as a busy mom?

Believe me, mama, I understand. Taking care of your family and household is no joke. It takes effort. Not just physically, but mentally as well.

Here are a few times during the day you can find for self care:

Before you children wake up
Over morning coffee (let dad take over for 15 minutes)
During solo play time. Let your child play by themselves for 20 minutes while you take some time to yourself.
During nap. I have a rule that I do not clean during nap time. This gives me at minimum and hour and a half to myself. I usually spend that time writing for you lovely folks and occasionally take a nap or an everything shower (IYKYK).
After bedtime
On weekends. Make a rule that you get two hours every Saturday morning (or whatever your husband’s off day is) to do something for yourself.
At the gym. Take advantage of a gym with childcare. After your workout, don’t get your kid right away. Use a massage chair if they have one or pop in your headphones and jam out for a few minutes.

30 Day Self Care Challenge

Okayyyy let’s get started with this challenge! The great thing about this self care challenge is that you can do it in any order you see fit. Can’t schedule a massage until the end of the month? No problem. Couldn’t schedule a girl’s night during the weekend? Move it to a Tuesday. You can also save the at-home challenges for those days that you need to work around someone else’s schedule (be it your toddler, husband, or hair stylist!)

Take a bubble bath. We’re starting off easy with a relaxing bath. squeeze it in during nap time or after the kids have gone to bed. Use the bath bomb you’ve been saving and put on some music.
Drink more water. Aim for 60 ounces each day. I usually set my goal a little higher, say 70 or 80 ounces, so even if I fall short, I’m still getting the appropriate amount of water each day. By the end of this challenge, it will be second nature to drink more!
Read a book you’ve had you eye on. Even if it is only three pages at a time, taking time for yourself is so important. Here are my current favorites.
Get a facial/manicure/insert pampering of choice here. Let someone dote on you for an hour. Check your area for a cosmetology school where you can usually get a discount!
Do something that scares you. Make a friend at the gym, start learning a new language, or start training for that marathon. Push yourself to be a better version, even if it is hard at first.
Invite friends over for a girls night or game night.
Give your body some love with a yoga class, even if it is just on YouTube.
Go shopping for an outfit that makes you feel amazing
Treat your town like a vacation. When I am on vacation, I LOVE stopping in all of the shops wherever we are. Handmade pottery store? Yes, please. That gift shop that sells local artwork? Lets go! Visit the stores you usually avoid in your everyday life. That fancy chocolate shop you never go in up the street? Stop by and sample their wares. That high end furniture boutique? Peruse their displays. Slow down and live a little. Even if you don’t buy anything, you will release endorphins by strolling and taking in the wares.
Look in the mirror and repeat a positive affirmation. I like to choose a new one each week to repeat.
Go out to your favorite restaurant. Whether with your mom, friends, or on a date with your spouse, be sure to stay present and enjoy the atmosphere. Even better if its a place you usually save for only special occasions!
Call a friend you haven’t talked to in a while and catch up just because.
Write down three things that you are grateful for. Tape it to your mirror so you see it every day
Declutter an area that has been bothering you. Here is a quick guide to decluttering in a hurry.
Do a face mask and paint your nails. This challenge is great for those days when you don’t feel like leaving the house. I love this high shine nail polish. Having my nails done always makes me feel more put together.
Go for a walk in nature. I try to do this everyday, no matter the weather!
Start journaling your thoughts. This blog is a fantastic way for me to get my jumbled thoughts out into cohesive, semi-intelligible writing. It gives me a creative release and allows me to look back on where I was at a previous moment in time. Even if this journal is only for you, give yourself an outlet.
Start a new hobby. Have you always wanted to try knitting? Paddle boarding? Woodworking? Why not give it a whirl? As I have mentioned before, having a creative outlet that is just for you is so important for stay at home moms. And it is totally okay if you totally suck at it. You can’t get better if you don’t start.
Watch that documentary or comedy special you’ve been saving. Make time for you! Plus, it is so satisfying to check it off of your watch list! No? Just me? Ok…
Find a stressful area in your life and eliminate it. Is the junk mail piling up in your inbox? Unsubscribe from all those mailing lists. Is there a rattling noise in your car you’ve been meaning to get to? Schedule an appointment with a mechanic. Don’t like the way a fellow mom has been talking down to you? Respectfully address it and move on. Do something your future self will thank you for.
Meditate for ten minutes. Check in with yourself and see how you feel afterwards.
Wear a nice outfit instead of throwing on leggings and a baggy T-shirt. Pay attention to how you feel throughout the day. Does wearing a dress give you confidence? Does a pair of jeans make you feel prepared to tackle the day? Consider adding it to your routine, at least one day each week.
Try a new recipe. I always seem to save these delicious looking recipes I find online but never get around to making them. It is usually because the ingredients are more expensive or I feel like I don’t have time to devote to the meal. But no longer! Buy the fancy ingredients, spend the whole day slow roasting in the oven, take the time to prepare a risotto.
Plan a date with a friend you don’t often see. It can even be a playdate for your kids! Call that friend that lives a few hours away and meet in the middle. Having something to look forward to can be uplifting.
Go on a long drive solo. Blast the music and sing your heart out. Play all of the songs from your youth that are not small-child appropriate! Give yourself the freedom to let loose and rival Mariah for a while.
Do art. This might sound silly, but buy yourself a canvas and some paints, or clay. Take a trip to a pottery studio, write a song and play it on the piano. Create something for beauty’s sake and display it proudly in your home, even if you think it looks like your toddler might have made it!
Get a massage. It can be from your husband or you can go to a spa.
Watch the sunrise or sunset with your spouse. Take the time to get up early or stop what you are doing long enough to enjoy nature’s big finale.
Buy yourself fresh flowers. Don’t wait for special occasions or for someone else to buy them. Find a bouquet you love and display it proudly. Ask followers to tag you taking a picture of their flowers.
Write yourself a letter. Finish this challenge strong with a letter to yourself. Write about your feelings, expectations, and challenges. Give yourself some hard love about areas you would like to improve and how you want to do so. Save this letter to read at the end of the year.

Follow Along

For the entire month of April, I will be sharing my self care challenge of the day over on Instagram. Head over and follow along!

What is your go to self care activity? Mine is reading. I love losing myself for a little while in a good book. Sign up below to get the FREE self care challenge now!

You can reuse this self care challenge at any time. It does not have to start on the first of a month, but rather whenever you feel ready. Let me know in the comments if you are doing this challenge!