Me time ideas for moms can sometimes sound like a foreign concept. In the insanity of motherhood it’s often easier to resort back to just making it through the to-do list and never actually creating time for yourself. The reality is that setting aside time for yourself take intentionality and it won’t happen unless you make it happen.

This post is all about me time ideas for moms that will recharge you and let you be the best mom you can possibly be for your kids.

This post contains affiliates.

Me Time Ideas for Moms

Why are me time for moms so important?

It takes effort to make me time happen consistently. But, the alternative isn’t pretty. The mom who doesn’t take any time for herself will eventually be exhausted, worn out, short tempered, and unhappy. Aside from assisting you in maintaining patience with your kids, me time is also important to help moms maintain and develop hobbies beyond motherhood. When I don’t take me time, I often find myself feeling like a robot rather than a person and a mom. It is NOT selfish to take time for yourself! In fact, it is quite the opposite because you cannot take care of your family until you take care of yourself.

It’s just like the emergency procedures on an airplane. You have to put the oxygen mask on yourself before you put it on your kids because if you pass out you can’t do anything to help them. Similarly, if you don’t take any time for yourself, you will eventually go down and you won’t be able to be there for your kids fully. That is why I believe me time is so crucial for moms. In fact, 15 minutes of me time is a part of the Mom 75 challenge that I created because I believe me time is a habit that every mom needs to develop in order to be the best mom that they can possibly be.

I know what you are probably thinking, “how in the world am I supposed to spend time on myself when there is so much that needs to get done in a day?!” Trust me, I get it. But, I promise you, IT IS possible and IT IS necessary. It takes effort upfront to create time for yourself, but later on it will make life a whole lot easier. This list of me time ideas for moms ranges from a simple face mask to a professional massage, this way you can find a “me time” idea (or a few hopefully!) that will work for you.

How do you get me time as a mom?

Me time can be hard to come by for moms. You will have to be intentional to carve out time for yourself or I guarantee it won’t happen. Here are some me time ideas for moms that I have helped me find me time in my own life! I hope they help you find some me time too!

Take Advantage of Nap Time/Quiet Time– For the longest time, I spent the entirety of naptime running around my house cleaning, doing dishes, and folding laundry. But, nap time is also one of the best times to get in some me time. Once your kids stop napping, I encourage you to turn nap time into quiet time. Not only does this teach your children to play independently and calmly at times, but it also gives you time for you.
Set a Schedule with a Friend or Family Member– I often struggle to ask my friends and family for help. I feel guilty inconveniencing them. But, the reality is that they really want to help! I have learned that setting a consistent schedule makes it a whole lot easier on both parties involved. Whether you ask them to watch your kids once a week or once a month, it’s a great way to guarantee you get some consistent me time.
Schedule with Your Partner– Let your partner know that you need more time to yourself and come up with a plan together to help you get that time. Deciding ahead of time what time of day/days of the week you need them to watch the kids makes it more likely to actually happen.
Find Trusted Mom Friends– Having a group of mom friends is a great way to build a support system in your area. Having people to bounce ideas off of is always helpful. But even beyond having ideas and empathy for your struggles as a mom, moms can work together to give each other a break. When you need some time to yourself, ask a mom friend to watch you kids for awhile. Next time they need some time, they can call you!
Wake up Before Your Kids– Once your kids develop a consistent sleep schedule, you may have to adjust yours in order to get time for yourself. Getting up 30 minutes before your kids to sit with a coffee will dramatically change the start of your day.
Allow Yourself to Order Pizza for Dinner Every Once In Awhile– Moms are faced with the challenge of planning for, shopping for, and cooking healthy delicious meals for their family on a daily basis. But, occasionally, it is okay to give yourself permission to order a pizza and take the night off.
Schedule Independent Play Time– Schedule time into the day that your kids know is yours. Encourage your kids to play on their own for a while. This is a good skill for them to develop. As a bonus, you can even supply them with activity books to help stretch and challenge their growing brains.

Me Time Ideas for the Busy Mom:

Me Time Ideas for Moms That You Can Do From Home

Write– Writing is a great way to express yourself and you can do this in a lot of different ways! You can write in a journal, write a letter to your future self, write a letter to you kids for the future, or write one line a day (my personal favorite). Shortly after my husband and I got married, I started writing down one line a day to help me remember the sweet moments, the big events, and the hilarious things he says sometimes. You can do this on your phone, in a notebook, or in one of these five year one line a day books!
Do a face mask– Moms are under a lot of stress every day and stress can wreak havoc on your skin. It’s so important to take time to care for your skin. I highly suggest adding a facemask into your skincare routine every week or two. I personally love this Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask. I see the difference in my face literally immediately.
Listen to a podcast– Regardless of how busy and chaotic life gets, this is something simple that you can do to take care of yourself even while you are on the go. I often listen to podcasts while I do the dishes (which takes a while without a dishwasher…)
Have a dance party– This is one that you can do with you kids or all by yourself. There is no shame in cranking up the music and dancing for awhile. I have stopped to dance around my house on really bad days before and it completely reset my mood for the rest of my day.
Create a vision board– This idea takes a little more time, but it is extremely impactful to do either by yourself or with your family. It is powerful to have a visual of your goals and your partners’ to help keep you both on track (And if you have a kid that is a little older, they can make their own vision board too). These cork tiles on Amazon are also a great option to start your vision board.
Declutter something/DIY project– It could just be me, but a clean house always makes me feel much more at ease and ready to take on my day. Recently, I’ve decided to take a moment during nap times to declutter areas in my home that have been bothering me. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. I recently just redid my bathroom closet with $1 bins from Dollar Tree! Now I get happy every time I open that closet instead of stressed.
Do your own nails– Every girl has to admit that there is just something about having your nails done. It makes you feel put together and ready to take on the day. But, getting to a nail salon and paying so much money to do your nails just isn’t realistic for a lot of us. But, doing your nails on your own during naptime is a great, realistic way to take a little more care of yourself. Last year, I chose to invest in a gel nail kit and I absolutely love it. It comes with all the files, cuticle trimmers, polish, and the UV light for under $40! That is less than one trip to a nail salon!
Schedule a Zoom coffee date with friends– Since the pandemic hit, we are all very familiar with Zoom calls. But, even now as restrictions have begun to loosen, I have continued to have Zoom coffee dates with my friends that don’t live nearby . It’s a great way to stay in touch with long distance friends and it can be done from home while the kids nap! Or they can join in on the call too! Zoom coffee dates are now one of my favorite me time ideas for moms!
Work out– Whether you are a fitness guru of struggle to find motivation, working out is one of the best ways to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. It is definitely possible to create an affordable home gym, so that you can sneak in a work out while the kids are napping or playing in another room. I will be doing an article on this soon! If you are not at a place right now to spend money on workout equipment, there are tons of body weight home workouts on YouTube that you can try. My favorite workouts on YouTube are by @growingannanas. She offers both bodyweight and dumbbell workouts that will definitely help you get and stay in shape!
Have a glass of wine with a Bubble bath– I personally am not much of a wine person. But, regardless of your alcohol preferences, a relaxing bubble bath with your favorite drink is sure to destress you at least a little bit.
Style your hair– Once you become a mom, you have to get multiple people ready in order to head out the door. By the time you get the kids looking presentable, you don’t have much time to do your hair or your make up. Sometimes it feels good to style your hair in a way that makes you feel confident, even if you just run to McDonalds for a coffee with your awesome hair.
Crafting/hobby– Too often, moms give up on their hobbies and interests when they have kids. But, it is important that you continue to do things that YOU enjoy too. Crafts are a great way to express yourself, destress, and even spend time with friends. If you don’t like art or crafts, then try sports, cooking, gardening, photography, etc. Invest in something that is just for your enjoyment.
Read– Going through college, reading textbook after textbook, left me with no time or motivation to ever read something for myself. After graduating from college, I found that many of my fellow classmates were in the same position as me. I know that many people reading this also have given up reading for one reason or another. However, I want to encourage you to pick up a book about something you enjoy. Get through just one book. I promise you will want to pick up another one. Whether you read fiction as an escape, how-to books, motivational books, comics, it doesn’t matter. My favorite book right now is “LIVE,” by Sadie Robertson. (I’ll be running out of highlighters before I finish this book)
Take a Nap– Your heart probably just skipped a beat when you read the word “nap.” I know it feels like there is never time and you must work during every minute that your child is napping or occupied. But, sometimes you just need rest in order to be your best. Hear me…That’s okay! Being a mom is hard! You are doing a great job!
Shave your legs– It can be a struggle for moms to find the time in a day to even take a shower. Shaving your legs, now that’s a luxury. But, crawling into your sheets with shaved legs after a long day of crazy kids is the BEST feeling.
Take a long shower– Just take a shower that is longer than 2 minutes and isn’t interrupted by a child every 10 seconds.
Get a massage from your husband or a back massager– Hauling car seats and kids around all the time often leaves your shoulders and back begging for mercy. I am lucky enough to have a husband that gives incredible back massages. If your husband isn’t as big a fan of giving back massages, this HoMedics massage cushion is a great deal!
Do yoga– I will admit, before doing the Mom 75, I really DID NOT like yoga. But, after I took up yoga on my active rest days, I began to really love the way it allowed me to work through my thoughts and slow down my day for a little while.
Do a puzzle– I absolutely love staying up late, watching a show, sitting by the fire, and putting together a puzzle with friends or family. Puzzles are a great way to relax while also engaging and growing your brain. This puzzle table is a great way to sort puzzle pieces and store your puzzle if you only have a few minutes at a time to work on your puzzle. It can be slid under a couch or bed easily to be out of sight when you aren’t working on it.
Bake something that YOU will enjoy– Break out your cook books, search social media, call a friend for ideas, and find something that you want to try. Don’t make rice krispie treats or Funfetti cake for your kids, make something that you will enjoy.
Pick a reality TV show that’s just for you– Instead of watching Cocomelon or Mickie Mouse Club House, find a TV show that you can enjoy by yourself, with your husband, or with friends. I highly recommend Psych. We also enjoy watching Bachelor with friends and creating brackets!
Play around with your make up routine– Once you have kids, your make up routine gets shortened…or maybe gone entirely. Mornings become full of changing diapers, feeding babies, dressing kids, cleaning up spills, and the list goes on. Taking some time to mess around with your make up is a fun way to help you feel more confident and do something that is just for you. As a bonus, go show that make up off somewhere (even just going grocery shopping if nothing else).
Look through old photos and/or create a photo book– Looking through old photos is a great way to recenter yourself and feel more grateful. Better yet, turn the amazing pictures you find into a photo book on a website like MixBook! You can even get 50% off your first purchase.
Color in an adult coloring book– I have this secret garden adult coloring book and it is absolutely beautiful! Adult coloring books are a great way to relax and unplug.

Me Time Ideas for Moms That'll Get You Out of the House

Treat yourself to your favorite food, coffee, or sweet treat– Even if you don’t have a ton of time to devote to yourself, I encourage you to make a quick stop just for you during your errands. Grab your favorite coffee, pick up your favorite food at the grocery store, or pick up a sweet treat (and don’t you dare share with your kids). Being highly caffeinated is my personal favorite me time idea for moms!
Go get your nails done– Getting your nails done is one of the most relaxing adventures for a mom and looking down to see your nails done brings a whole new level of confidence. You may need to get a sitter for this one or ask your husband to take the kids for a while.
Go for a drive– Any mom with a newborn can appreciate the beauty and quiet of a drive. But, even if your kids aren’t babies anymore, they can come along for a drive. Go explore a new part of your city or town and see what fun adventures you can find.
Go have coffee with friends- Many coffee shops have an area for kids to play. However, one of my favorite ways to get coffee with my mom friends is to rotate who goes to whose house. One day, I’ll go get the coffee and meet my friend at her house. The next time we get coffee, she will go get the coffee and bring it to my house. This gives the kids plenty of space to roam and play with each other, while you get some time to talk and enjoy coffee with your friend.
Go to the gym– If you don’t enjoy workout videos and don’t have a home gym, it is still important to find time to workout. Many gyms offer child care, but if this is not an option I suggest that you develop a work out schedule with a friend or your husband so that you both are able to hit the gym. As we mentioned earlier, working out is extremely important to both your mental and physical health so that you can be the best mom possible for a long time.
Go wander in a book store– If you can’t find someone else to watch your kids, going to a book store is a great me time activity that you can bring the kids along for. There is plenty for every age to enjoy.
Go for a walk or hike– Sometimes the best way to reset is to get outside in nature. This is a great option to do with your kids too. My husband and I used an Ergo carrier to go hiking when our baby was little and we now have a Kelty child carrier hiking back pack to go hiking as a family. Going for a walk or a hike outside is a great way to see the beauty in the world. (and most times your kids will fall asleep in the packs too!)
Go shopping or thrifting– Retail therapy is one of my favorite ways to destress. I enjoy thrifting even more because I love the thrill of a good deal! This is something you can do with your kids, by yourself, with your husband, or with friends.
Get a massage– Getting a professional massage is something that every mom could use! I’ve only ever had one and I can’t wait to go back some day!
Take a fun yoga or workout class– Many workout classes offer childcare and some Baby & Me classes even involve little ones! This is a great way to get out of the house for a little while.
Go on a date with your husband– It’s safe to say that I saved the best for last. I cannot stress enough how important it is to continuing dating your husband! It is so easy to get on the treadmill of life and forget to take time together with just the two of you. My husband and I make sure that we go out on a date with just the two of us at least once a month. We love getting date ideas from our Adventure Challenge Book! This book has 50 scratch off date ideas, places for pictures from your night, and a place for you to write about what you did. It’s a great way to get creative with date night and also keep a book of memories from all your dates together.

If you are here reading this, it means you are looking to take better care of yourself (and therefore your family too!) and I am so proud of you! It will take work to implement me time for yourself, but it will be worth it!

This post was all me time ideas for moms to finally get some time to themselves. I hope that you can find a few ideas that you love and start taking that much needed (and deserved) me time. It’s not selfish. It truly will let you be the best wife and mom you can possibly be for your family.

-Beautifully Busy Mom