The Little Mom Aid

Being a mom is hard. Raising children can make you want to pull your hair out or hideout in your room to escape the chaos and overwhelm! But, today I’m here to share with you 10 sanity-saving tips for moms to use each day. These tips will bring down the crazy and help you feel more in control.

Sanity-Saving Tips for Moms

1. Get Active

Every single day it is important to move your body and do some sort of exercise. It can be anything that gets your body moving. It can be a workout, dancing, going for a jog, taking a walk, or even chasing after your kids! Rachel Hollis suggests in her Five To Thrive that we should try to commit to move our bodies for 30 mins a day. Being active is a great way to boost energy levels and reduce stress. I recently discovered the free FitOn App and I simply love it! I want you to know about it! There are a ton of workout videos for all types of exercise. You can find yoga, kick boxing, HIIT, cardio, pilates and so much more. I love the variety of workouts available and cannot believe it is absolutely FREE to access all these amazing workouts.

2. Hydrate Your Body

Drink, drink, drink! It is so important to stay hydrated throughout the day. I noticed a HUGE difference when I began drinking more water throughout the day. My mood has improved, my body feels better, I think more clearly and I have so much more energy. I highly recommend this sanity-saving tip!

I now aim to drink at least 3L of water a day. Before I prioritized coffee over water. I would drink between 2 and the cups of coffee a day with maybe 1L of water and still felt sluggish. Don’t get me wrong, this mama LOVES her coffee! I still drink a coffee each morning and sometimes I reward myself with another after lunch. Each morning, the first thing I put in my body is water. I drink between half a liter and a liter of water before I get my morning coffee. Between lunch and supper time I drink another liter. After supper I drink a third liter. Staying hydrated was such a game changer for me!

Related: Easy Ways to Look Put Together as a Stay at Home Mom

3. Keep on Top of Laundry

When you have kids you need to stay on top laundry or else you will be drowning in piles of dirty clothes! I no longer wait until the weekend to do all the laundry. I do not want to spend my whole weekend worrying about washing and putting away clothes! I’ve learned that by doing at least 1 load of laundry a day makes my life so much easier. I do a load of laundry in the morning then dry and fold in the afternoon. Doing this is more motivating, makes doing laundry manageable and is a definite sanity-saver.

4. Clean as You Go

In order to have a tidy home and not get overwhelmed by mess I do my best to clean as I go. As I prepare meals I put things away. After we eat we quickly tidy the kitchen by filling the dishwasher and wiping down the counter. Another example is to put things immediately in their rightful place. When you get home put your coat away immediately instead of throwing it over a chair or the banister. By doing this you are saving yourself time, energy and eliminating visual clutter!

5. Have “Tidy-Time” for the Kids

Kids’ toys can spread through the house like wildfire. I swear my kids need to take out a TON of toys when they play. Generally I encourage them to put away toys when they are done playing with them, and before taking out a new one. We also have a routine where the kid’s quickly tidy up before lunch and again before supper. Another fun way we like to clean up is to do a Speed Clean. I will set a timer for 5 minutes and the kids run around trying to clean up as fast as they can.

6. Early Bedtime for Your Kids

Our kids bedtime is between 7 and 7:30pm. Having an early bedtime for kids is great because it promotes healthy sleep habits and has many health benefits. Here is an article from the Parents.com all about the benefits of having an early bedtime for your child. I also love having an early bedtime for the kids because it gives me more free time in the evening and it is certainly a sanity-saving habit.

Related: 10 Positive Affirmations for Kids to Boost Self-Esteem

7. Have A Quiet Time for Kids

Both my daughters stopped napping by the time they were 2 years old. I definitively missed their naptime more than they did! I needed that time to reset and recharge. Instead of naptime we do Quiet Time or Reading Time in our house and it is a such a sanity-saver. Every afternoon they go in their room to look at books for 45 minutes to an hour. Sometimes they color or draw or do puzzles. The main thing is that they are doing a quiet activity. It gives us all a chance to unwind and take a break.

8. Set Bedtime

Aim to go to bed at the same time each night. This a great sanity-saving tip because it allows you to be well-rested and better able to tackle your day. Try to limit screen time at least 30 minutes before your head hits the pillow.

9. Give Yourself Some Grace

This sanity-saving tip is so important. Often times we are too hard on ourselves and expect so much! Slow down, and regain perspective. Show yourself some compassion, and stop the negative self-talk. When you notice you are being hard on yourself, take a second to ask yourself if you would treat a friend or family member that way. If the answer is no, then be kind to yourself. Here are some ideas on how to show yourself some grace: use positive self-affirmations, make time to do something you love, take a few deep breaths, or step outside for fresh air.

10. Practice Gratitude

This is a wonderful habit to have. It helps to put things into perspective, changes your mindset and really helps save your sanity! Each day write down 5 things you are grateful for. If you do this in the morning, write down 5 things you are grateful for that happened the day before. If you do this practice in the evening write down things you are grateful for that day. This is a simple but meaningful task. It truly allows you to appreciate the things we often take for granted.

I hope that some of these sanity-saving tips are useful for you and help make your life a little easier!

Recommended Reads:

How to Spend One-on-One Time with Your Kids