Inside: Self Care Sunday Checklist Ideas for mums.
Self care is something that we all tend to neglect, isn’t it? We are so busy looking after everyone else, looking after the house and managing our busy schedules that we don’t leave time to take care of ourselves.
Self Care Sunday is a phrase that simply means to take a day for yourself and do things that re-energise you. It doesn’t have to be a Sunday, but it is important that you make the time for the things that give you the strength you need to keep on top of everything.
This post is full of ideas and inspiration to help you create your own self care Sunday checklist. Remember, do what works for you.
What is Self Care Sunday?
Traditionally, Sunday was the day of rest, the day where everyone stayed home and had more time available. Of course, with shift work and busier lives it doesn’t necessarily mean Sunday is everyone’s rest day. And when you have a family, the likelihood of having a whole day to yourself is slim to none.
However, whether you switch your self care day to another day of the week or condense it into an hour or two on a Sunday, it is important that everyone makes time for self care activities.
Also, it is important to note that some of these things are activities you should fit in every day and only take a few tweaks in habit. This shouldn’t be something that you feel is a chore, it is a way of living that includes more focus on taking care of your mental health.
The importance of Self Care
In the past, people have viewed self care as a luxury. That it involves going for a spa day or running yourself a bubble bath for the evening. And as much as those are great self care ideas, the reality of self care is very different.
Self care is about making time to do things that will benefit you in the long run. Drinking water doesn’t necessarily make you feel better instantly but in the long run it will cleanse your body and make you feel so much better. Meal planning doesn’t feel like something that luxurious or fun, but you will thank yourself for making the time to do it on the days when you come home and realise you have everything you need for a quick and easy meal.
Self care is about looking after your body and your mental wellbeing. Each is important and will mean you feel less stressed and overwhelmed and more energised and organised for the following week.
How to create your self care Sunday routine
The fact that you are reading this means you want to make more time for self care and that is the first step in itself. So now you need to work out where you can find more time, whether it is squeezing in some meditation while you wait for the kids to finish a club, getting up 10 minutes earlier for some journalling or taking a longer period of time for yourself to do something else.
Look at how you currently spend your time and where you might be under-utilising it. If you spend hours on your phone scrolling social media, could you swap that time for something more mindful?
The best thing to do is to start small and work your way up as you feel the benefits. Sometimes, just starting with simple things like drinking more water and going to bed a bit earlier to read can make all of the difference.
Self-care Sunday ideas
I have broken down the ideas into categories according to time available. As we all know, life happens and sometimes you might only have 15 minutes to spend on yourself. It isn’t ideal but even a short amount of focused time can positively impact emotional health.
When you’re short on time
If you find yourself sitting in the car waiting to collect the kids, or standing in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil, these small moments of the day are perfect for fitting in a small piece of self-care. Every little helps.
Gratitude. Writing a gratitude list, whether it is on a scrap piece of paper, in a gratitude journal or in the notes app on your phone, is a great way to focus your mind to the positive things in your life.
Sometimes we let negativity weigh us down but thinking about all of the little things in our life that we are grateful for can help us see how lucky we are.
If you want to spend more time on this, here are some great journal prompts to help you get started.
Self love. Do you ever look at yourself in the mirror and appreciate how wonderful you are? I’m guessing the answer is no. But you are amazing and you deserve to hear it. Stop and take a minute to think about what makes you, you!
Are you funny? Are you kind? Helpful? Do you have lovely eyes?
We are so hard on ourselves most of the time, so let’s make more time to show ourselves some love.
Enjoy a cup of coffee. Or any favourite drink of yours. It sounds ridiculous but I’m betting that actually most of the time your cup of coffee goes cold before you get to enjoy it, right?
So make a conscious decision that right now is coffee time and you are going to enjoy it. Maybe take it outside to enjoy while the sunshine warms your skin.
A great way to ensure this happens is to get up before anyone else. Enjoy the time.
Listen to a favourite podcast. You don’t have to be short on time to do this – the joy of podcasts is that you can listen to them anywhere.
So remember to take your headphones with you when you do the weekly shop, on the school run or even pop them in as you cook dinner.
Meditate. I always thought that you had to lie on a yoga mat and put aside a length of time to do any form of meditation. Then I realised that I can do it anywhere. All I need is some quiet and my own breath.
Waiting in the car? Alone in the kitchen? Just woken up? Close your eyes and focus only on your breathing. If your thoughts drift thats ok, just bring your focus back to breathing in and breathing out. Do it for as long as you have time available. Even 1 minute would be beneficial.
Meal plan. Got 5 minutes? Your future self will thank you for taking the time to do this. Think about your plans for the week, whether you’ll have time to cook a complex meal or whether you need a 15 minute recipe.
Plan out the meals for the week and then create a shopping list. No more wondering what to cook when you walk through the door, no more wondering whether you have the ingredients, you’ll have all you need and save yourself time and stress.
Use essential oils. Feeling stressed or down? Rub some essential oils on your temples or wrists or if you have a diffuser then add a couple of drops to the water to lift your mood.
Plan out the week. Each Sunday take a minute to check calendars to see what events are planned for the week. There is nothing worse than realising last minute that you have somewhere to be or worse – forgetting to go altogether!
Make a list. Make a list of anything you need to get done in the week ahead. Any gifts to buy? Appointments to book? If you have everything written down then it takes pressure off your mind.
Set goals. Goal setting is a great way to set the intention for the week. Writing it down makes you 5x more likely to achieve them too so it is well worth doing.
Do you want to drink more water? Eat 3 veggie meals? Go for a walk each day?
Think about the life you want and set goals that align with that purpose.
When you have an hour or so
Go for a walk. A long walk in the countryside or to your local park for fresh air and to get your body moving is a great way to make you feel refreshed. Not only will you get some vitamin D just from being outside but being out in nature is great for helping you relax.
Go alone to have time with your own thoughts or go with a friend for some much needed adult company.
Have a bath. Bubble baths don’t have to be saved for Mother’s Day or your birthday. Making time to relax in the tub can help you sleep better and so should be something you make time for frequently.
Add to the luxury with candles and a good book and even a glass of wine and you’ll feel like you’ve had a day at a spa.
Phone a friend. With the invention of texting and social media came the decline of phonecalls. But hearing a friendly voice can be so therapeutic and help you feel more connected to people.
The best thing about it is that a phone call from you will cheer up your best friends or family members too, spreading the joy around.
Grab a colouring book. Adult colouring has become massive in recent years as it has been found to be a relaxing mindful activity to help you unwind from the busy life you lead.
Put on some relaxing music and allow yourself to become absorbed in the gentle rhythms of colouring in between the lines.
Have a manicure. Taking care in your appearance can boost your mood and give you confidence. The simple act of painting your nails can make all the difference. Using high-quality professional nail supplies can turn a simple home polish into a long-lasting, salon-standard finish that keeps you feeling pampered all week.
Of course, for an extra treat you could go to a salon and have them done for you!
Exercise. For so long exercise was thought of as a punishment, something you do to lose weight. But more and more people are realising that moving your body is a joy. It doesn’t have to mean doing cardio or hitting the gym, a walk with friends or some yoga for 10 minutes when you wake up is enough to boost your mood.
Self care is as much about physical health as it is mental health.
If you have a morning or afternoon to yourself
Have a lie in. Get someone else to keep the kids quiet for an hour or two while you sleep in for a bit longer. Or even if you can’t get back to sleep, enjoy extra time in bed with a book or a relaxing meditation.
Have a pamper session. If you have an evening to yourself, why not treat yourself to a pamper night with face masks, a manicure, bath bombs in the bath, read a magazine and eat your favourite snacks.
Go out for brunch. Organise to meet up with your friends and be treated to someone else cooking. Brunch always seems more of a treat somehow as breakfast at home is never that exciting, is it?
Read. Take yourself off to another world by diving into a good book. Re-read an old favourite, go to the library or treat yourself to a new book and switch off for a few hours.
Fiction is always the obvious choice but why not try a non-fiction self improvement book to gain insight and tips into ways of improving your life.
Spend time on a hobby. Take up a new hobby if you don’t have one or dedicate time to an existing hobby of yours. Whether it is knitting, rock climbing or learning a language – find your passion and make time for it.
Spend quality time with family and friends. Obviously this doesn’t have to be done when you have time to yourself but sometimes it is nice to catch up with people without the kids around. Pop in to see your parents or your siblings for adult chat or organise a night out with friends to let your hair down.
Too often we forget that we were people before we had kids and never spend time with our loved ones outside of ‘mummy-mode’. Make time for your relationships.
Declutter. You may find this a strange activity to include but hear me out. Having a proper clean-out of your house can do wonders for your mental health. Releasing clutter releases stress and paves the way for a calm and relaxing way of living.
Dedicate an afternoon to sorting out the junk and your future self will thank you for it!
Go for a massage. A real treat but something that we all need to do every now and then. We lead such stressful lives and we carry that stress in our muscles. An alternative treatment would be to visit an osteopath to release tension around joints and loosen yourself up again. Either way, you’ll feel amazing afterwards.
Watch your favourite show. When was the last time you watched something that wasn’t kids tv during the day? We often wait until night time to watch Netflix etc… but why not spend the afternoon watching some daytime tv that you haven’t watched in years!
Try to make these part of your daily routine
As well as making time for self care activities on a Sunday, there are some things that you can add in to your every day lifestyle. Here is a list of ideas you can implement for the coming week.
Cut down on junk food. We all know it isn’t good to have too much, but how much of an effort do you make to cut down? Meal plan for the week, only buy what you need and steer clear of the snacks aisle! You will feel so much better for it!
Go to bed earlier. Getting proper sleep every night is crucial to being able to function the next day. Instead of staying up late watching tv, head upstairs and unwind with a book or meditation before falling asleep.
The effect will be a fresher start to the next day and a knock on effect of feeling more energised throughout the week.
Digital detox. How much time do you spend using your phone, a tablet or computer? One look at your phone usage will probably shock you into realising you need to change. It is a proven fact that staring at screens makes you more stressed out, so make a real effort to change your habits.
Delete apps you know are bad for you, unfollow people that invoke negative emotions and choose to do more mindful activities such as colouring, reading or puzzles instead of turning to the TV or technology to entertain you.
Listen to music. It is such an easy change to make but one that can change your whole mood in an instant. Create a playlist of your favourite songs and listen to them while you do housework or cook dinner or just as background noise while you go about your day.
Cuddle more. How often do you snuggle up on the sofa with your kids or a pet and do nothing else? No TV, no phones, just having a cuddle for the sake of it? Not often enough I bet.
Human touch is a powerful thing, go have a cuddle session right now.
I hope that these ideas have shown you that self care isn’t just bubble baths and massages, that making small changes to your lifestyle can have a huge impact on your mood.
And by taking time out on a Sunday to do things such as making a list, setting goals and spending time looking after yourself, you’ll set yourself up for success for the rest of the week.
What would your perfect self care Sunday look like?