Collaborative post
When you become a mum, your life is no longer completely your own. You have children whose needs often come before your own, and that’s fine because you love them and you want to do everything you can to keep them safe and happy.
However, it can mean that you don’t have time to concentrate on the things that help you to feel healthy and happy yourself. That’s why I’ve put together some tips to help you, busy mums, out there look and feel great no matter how little time you have to yourselves because you’re worth it…
Get organised
It’s so much easier to look good and feel great when you aren’t constantly rushing around trying to get the kids ready for school or yourself to work on time. So, one of the best things you can do for yourself as a busy mum if you haven’t already is to get organised. Buy a day planner and use it to map out your days, get the kids’ school stuff ready the night before, and streamline your schedule as much as possible so that you never have to rush around. By doing this, you will free up more time to focus on your health and beauty regime, and anything else that is important to you.
Create a capsule wardrobe
If fashion is your thing, and you like to look good, but you have so little time to shop, maintain and put together outfits, then you need a capsule wardrobe in your life.
Basically, a capsule wardrobe is a curated collection of fewer than average clothes. The aim, when curating a capsule wardrobe is to buy a number of pieces that work together in various combinations, so that whatever you happen to pull out of the wardrobe, once you put it on, you can look put together. This means you should spend more money on a few quality items, rather than a little money on a lot of items, but you should also make sure you have clothing to suit all occasions.
If this, understandably, sounds like a lot of work, it’s worth noting that you can gradually build up a capsule wardrobe if that would be easier for you – you don’t have to go out and shop ‘til you drop all in one go.
Choose comfort
As a mum who is always on the go, comfort should play a big factor in your choice of fashion. That doesn’t mean that you need to dress dowdy, but it does mean making smart choices like choosing natural fibres over manmade, a lingerie top instead of restrictive bras and flats instead of heels for day-to-day wear. Why? Because when you feel comfortable in your clothes, things seem less hard. You aren’t constantly itching or aching as well as feeling tired, and you can run around after the kids without feeling too restricted. There are so many brands that offer both comfort and style, that there is no reason to dress any other way!
Invest in accessories
Accessories are great because even if you’ve thrown on the most basic of outfits, you can add a nice scarf or a statement necklace and it will instantly elevate your outfit with ease, not to mention the fact that thew right accessories are great at hiding stains and spills caused by your kids, which is always a bonus – no one will know that your scarf is hiding a milk stain or your broach is covering up a chocolate smear.
Do HIIT
High-intensity interval training is ideal for busy mums who want to exercise to stay in shape and boost their physical and mental health. Why? Because you can complete a full and effective exercise session in as little as seven minutes, and you only need to do this three or four times a week to stay in good shape. Pretty much all of us can carve out that amount of time no matter how busy we are, and actually, you will probably find that you feel a whole lot better if you do.
Practice meditation
You’re probably sighing right now because it just sounds like one more thing to add to your busy day, but please do hear me out. Meditation is very easy to learn, can be practised almost anywhere, and most importantly, has been shown to be great for your physical and mental health, which makes it an ideal practice for busy mums aiming to look and feel great.
When you meditate, you find space in your life, you learn how to slow down – you still get things done, but you are less stressed out by the process, which can make you happier, and ensure that you were a better parent too.
On the looking good front, some studies have shown that regular meditation appears to slow down the ageing process. This probably works by helping people to release stress, which can take a toll on the skin, as quell as the body and mind in general. So, although it may be something else to find time for, it is well worth the time, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Consider semi-permanent makeup
If you are the kind of woman who likes to wear makeup, but you rarely have the time to do it well, something that you might want to consider is semi-permanent makeup that will ensure you look amazing from the moment you wake up in the morning. From tinted eyelashes to tattooed lipstick and eyeliner, there were various options available to you if you think this is something that would help you to look and feel great.
If semi-permanent options aren’t for you, it may be worth checking out Youtube for simple makeup looks that can be applied in minutes, maybe even seconds if you know what you are doing because there are plenty of them.
Vatch cook healthy meals
When you’re constantly busy, it can be tempting to rely on microwave meals that you can just ping or chocolate bard to give you that instant boost of energy when you’re flogging, and that is fine now and again, but if you want to look and feel your best, it is far from ideal.
When you eat a healthy diet that is packed with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, you feed your body all of the nutrients it needs which means you were less likely to feel stressed snd depressed, and your skin will look clearer, brighter nd younger. Your waistline will likely thank you for it too.
That’s all well and good, but you don’t have the time for that? Try batch cooking. It will take a little organising at first, but once you know what you’re doing, it need not take you more than an hour or two at the weekends. Basically, you just cook up large batches of healthy soups, stews and stuff like that which can be easily frozen so that you can simply reheat them when needed. Not only will this be good for you, but it will do the whole family the world of good, and actually, if you get the whole family involved in the cooking, that will mean even less time that you have to worry about food.
You might be a busy mum, but that does not mean you can’t look and feel great, and as you can see doing so might just be a lot easier than you had imagined. You deserve to feel amazing, so please do take some time for yourself!