MOMS GIFT-GUIDE 2023: Guided self-care routines for busy women to stay positive

> CLICK ‘Gift Guide’ to see the list <

In the middle of hectic tasks we have to do during the day, it may be easier to blame the outside situations and people for how we feel and sometimes to lash out and become negative.

Making a habit of responding and not reacting takes time and practice.

It means we have to look honestly in the mirror and pay attention to how what is going on inside affects what is going on outside. It means we have to take some time to focus on ourselves in order to gain the personal growth it takes to change our daily lives. Maybe you are asking, with only 24 hours in a day and so much to do, how can I focus on myself as a busy woman?

I created this space and the GIFT GUIDE below to share my tried and true daily method for only a few minutes a day that easily brings my attention back to being self-aware as a busy mom of 3 demanding little ones.

How guided self-care routines can help you improve your daily life in 2022

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There is a Relief is writing things out.

Sometimes you see the thoughts or feelings on paper and you understand them better. It can help get things out of our system. It can help us say what we are really feeling in a clear way.

There is Empowerment is writing out our plans and intentions.

It is a way to record our journey, and to remember how far we have come. We can hold ourselves accountable to our goals and reward ourselves when we reach them.

The beauty of writing is that your story is going to continue to evolve and you can always read and see how you grow with it.  

Not everyone enjoys writing. Guided journaling is a great way to try out the habit of going within, as all you have to do is follow the prompts, ideas and sometimes there are inspiring quotes and words to read and learn from.

Journaling only takes a few minutes but can set the tone for an entire day.

If you are wondering where to start with journaling as a busy woman and mom, here are 4 things to consider:

What You’ll Need

1 —

A personal space

Sample ‘Weekly Theme’ page cover from S.P.A guided journal for busy women

Making a space at home where you can escape from it all for a little bit and get in touch with yourself is important. A personal space does not have to be large or fancy, it only matters that it feels like it is special to you. It could be something as simple as a spot on your dresser with a few favorite things, that invites you to it, like scents, knick knacks with meaning, pretty writing materials.

It could be your bedside table with some items that make you think of slowing down, like uplifting books, candles, music. Perhaps all you have room for is a yoga mat or a chair in a corner with a cozy blanket and pillows. You could even set up a time when a specific room is to be used by you alone for the purpose of sitting still and checking in on yourself.

If you work away from home, perhaps it is a sentimental item on your desk, a spot by a window or stepping outside for a little bit.

Creating a personal space and making a habit of stopping there daily is a simple first step to prioritizing mindfulness and self-awareness for an improved daily life.

Your goal should be to make it feel inviting for right now. It will likely grow and change over time as you do.

Here are some top Amazon picks to create an inviting space just for you:

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2 —

Morning or night person?

To make journaling enjoyable, it is a good idea to do it when you are in your best mood to do it. Whether you are a morning or night person, the time you choose should be up to you based on what helps you along during that time of day.

For example, some morning persons may like their routine fast and active. Taking time to write may feel like it slows them down. A few minutes of journaling at night may be just the thing that helps you wind down and look forward to a good morning the next day.

If you are a night person, it could be easy for you to add a few minutes of journaling to the end of your day. Or perhaps you may need a journaling session first thing in the morning to help you come around to getting up for the day.

Some ideas from Amazon to help with unwinding at the end of the day:

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The thing is, the choice should fit in to your daily routine.

The practice of journaling should feel like it is adding to your routine and not like a chore. 

If that means that your best time to journal is smack in the middle of the day, then so be it! The few minutes a day you set is exactly what will work best for you. Your aim is to make it a habit and see it change the way you think, feel and handle everyday life.

Here are some Amazon suggestions to put you in the self-care mood in the morning!

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3 —

How much time do you have?

Sample ‘Weekly Theme’ page cover from S.P.A guided journal for busy women

The answer to how much time does a busy person have in a day is often, ‘never enough’. Or at least it is easy to get caught in a rut feeling like we can not afford to add another item to our to-do list. At the same time, feeling like we never have enough time leads us to rush through moments of the day that could help us slow down and appreciate life. Then we get caught is a cycle of thinking that we are missing out on life and yet we can never seem to get ahead.

The irony of rushing through the simple moments is that those are the moments when time seems to slow down… 

My simple tip for making more time is to make a list of daily routines that you already have. Then pick the most important ones - the ones that help improve on your day and overall attitude and wellbeing.

Personally, I had to be honest about my habit of waking up and going straight to my phone, many times, social media - yikes. Starting my day by peeking in on other peoples lives and even world events was not a good investment of the first few minutes of my day. So I made more time in my day by dropping that habit and replacing it with a simple journaling session where I get in touch with myself and set the tone for my day without outside influence.

There are many habits in modern life that are easy to turn to, for instance TV watching at night, that do not enrich our lives but take time away that we can never get back.

I encourage you to make a list of your daily habits, cross out what is no longer good for you and replace that time slot with something that helps you grow better as a person.

Self-care items from Amazon to jumpstart your me-time routine:

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4 —

Don’t over do it (especially in the beginning)

There is a danger is starting a new habit too fast - it can get overwhelming and frustrating. One sure thing about habits is that it takes repetition which can tend to feel boring at first. By human nature, once such negative feelings creep in, discouragement is not far behind. In the past I have found myself giving up on things because I decided that the results I had hoped for were not coming fast enough. Sometimes all it takes is a bad day to fall back on old, non-productive ways of being and thinking.

The solution to feeling overwhelmed according to a wise quote is that

“You don’t have to see the entire staircase. Just take one step at a time.” (Martin Luther King Jr.)

Or like a ‘joke’ my kids like to repeat, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!”

To put it simply, a secret to forming a journaling habit that does not feel like homework, is to start with one thing to write about a day and to keep it short and honest.

That is exactly what a good guided journal is designed for. It can help you organize the thoughts, feelings and goals you would like to focus on in creative ways that make it effortless. Sometimes with a guided journal, you can allow yourself to read the prompts, positive quotes or affirmations and spend some time thinking about them before you are ready to write.

And on the go, here are some practical items as reminders to take one moment at a time:

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Have you ever woken up in the morning in a good mood and with great hopes for how the day will go…. done everything ‘right’ to be the person you would like to be on that day… and then ‘wham’ suddenly something happens and all that positivity seems like it was only a wish after all?

Or perhaps you struggle with waking up in a good mood at all and gaining positive motivation for the day, like I do sometimes…

It can be such a bummer to have your good intentions and plans disrupted by a moment or two that throws you off into worry, anxiety, frustration, anger, impatience, doubt…. It is easy to spiral into expecting that, of course, you have little or no control over your days.

Even more so if there are young kids you have to spend much of the day with or highly demanding work. I bet you have found yourself in this space because, like me, you crave feeling in control throughout the day.

In my experience as a mom of small children and working woman, the only control that we can ever rely on is control over our own thoughts and actions.

To gain control over how we think and react takes time since often, we may have to unlearn the way we see situations and how we naturally want to respond.

An example I like is, imagine that the first thing that happens when you get out of bed is that you stub your toe and it hurts and throbs and makes you irritated and instantly suspectful of what the day ahead will be like for you…

The control lies not so much is avoiding stubbing your toe in the first place, but in how you think about the incident, how you react and what you choose to think moving forward.

The secret is in practicing how to RESPOND rather than react. 

Guided journaling is one of my favorite, easy self-care routines that can help you be a more mindful mom no matter what!

21 journaling prompts to bring peace to your days as a busy woman and mom:

Sample ‘memories and habits’ page from S.P.A guided journal for busy women

If you feel like guided ideas on how to begin and maintain inner self-care habits would help you bring the change you want in your life, you will find the S.P.A (Serenity. Purpose. Attitude.) guided journal an enjoyable journey within!

It is a refreshing 21-week, daily journal that follows a personal growth theme for every week.

It is helpful for women with busy lives and mothers with busy homes.

Set up with daily prompts to check-in to your mind, heart and body, it is designed to put the pen to your life story in your hands in just a few minutes a day.

To guide you further, each week has great famous quotes on Serenity, Purpose and Attitude to keep you easily inspired, motivated and focused.

Here is how well planned out having a S.P.A moment every day is for you!

Available on Amazon | *CLICK below to check out the book for yourself.*

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I am grateful to share my journey to staying positive in the busyness of life and I hope it is a guide and help to you as well. Let me know if this article was helpful!

>>READ how to set a routine that works with your daily energy cycles HERE<<

Best wishes on your journey,

Caroline