10 Easy Mental Self Care Tips for Busy Moms

Sleepless nights. Never-ending to-do lists. Getting everyone out the door on time. It’s no surprise that women—especially mothers—are two to three times more likely to develop depression or anxiety than men. Our mental load is heavy, often invisible, and carried quietly.

That’s exactly why mental self care matters.

Mental self care includes the simple, intentional practices that support your mind, thoughts, and inner clarity. It’s what helps you stay grounded, patient, and steady when motherhood feels overwhelming.

For me, becoming a mother has been the hardest—and most transformative—experience of my life. And through the constant changes of motherhood, I’ve learned one thing: the small, consistent choices we make for our mental well-being truly add up.

In this post, you’ll find 10 practical, accessible mental self care practices that busy moms can use to feel calmer, clearer, and more supported—without needing more hours in the day.

Why Mental Self Care for Moms?

Mental vs. Emotional Self Care

You might be wondering, what’s the difference between mental self care and emotional self care? 

Think of mental self care as caring for your thoughts and emotional self care as caring for your feelings — and both work together, constantly influencing each other.

Negative thoughts and patterns of thinking result in negative emotions, for example.  Mental and emotional self care often overlap, and together affect your overall mental health.

Mental Health by the Numbers

Things are tough out there, especially for moms.  Here are some statistics.

The Pandemic and Mom Burnout: According to a 2022 survey, which focused on the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on mental health, more working mothers were diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression (42 percent) than the general population (28 percent), their coworkers without kids (25 percent), and even working fathers (35 percent).

Before the Pandemic: Higher pressures on mothers’ mental health existed even before the pandemic, however.  In 2019, more than one in ten (13.5 percent or 4.9 million) American mothers between the ages of 19 and 64 reported symptoms of moderate or severe anxiety.  About 1.7 million (4.8 percent) reported symptoms of moderate or severe depression that year.   

Between 2013 and 2016, one in eight women (12.5 percent) reported experiencing depression in their lifetime, about twice the rate as men.

Postpartum Mental Health: Maternal mental health disorders are the leading complications of childbirth, affecting about one in U.S. women.  Such disorders included anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and psychosis.  Postpartum depression (PPD) diagnosis almost doubled between 2010 and 20121, from 9.4 percent in 2010 to 19.0 percent in 2021.      

Care Access Gaps: Despite all this, research also showed that almost two-thirds of mothers did not receive counseling or therapy for their anxiety or depression; almost one in four reported not receiving care due to cost constraints.    

You wonder how all these families get by under these conditions, right?  Well, I think it is a testament to moms’ strength and resilience that you can push through and get by. 

Still, I’d love to be a megaphone for the reminder that you deserve a break.  That you deserve a minute of calm, a good night’s sleep, childcare help, and access to professional care, if need be. 

Closer Than You Think

Even though the statistics make women’s mental illness seem to be happening somewhere over there, separate from me, real cases are everywhere.

I have a family member, a mom, who went through a difficult marriage and a divorce. In retrospect, I suspect that things began to build after her first postpartum period, but we’ll never know.

Well, her ex-husband filed for divorce right in the middle of the pandemic.  This is when she was struggling with remote-learning for two of her three children, with no help. 

She was caught completely off guard.  She had few resources to help her get through these tough times.  She was also unwilling to seek help or try new things, other than the pills that a psychiatrist was prescribing her without honest conversations.  

To make a long story short, a serious mental illness took over her life for many years.  She’s much better now, thankfully, and is doing an amazing job at rebuilding her life.  

Her story is a reminder of something we don’t talk about enough: Our mental health shapes everything—our families, our communities, and our ability to show up for the people we love. 

And it deserves our proactive attention and devotion, because doing little things today consistently for yourself can literally save your life someday. 

Benefits of Mental Self Care

You do not have to experience any symptoms before investing in good mental and emotional health.  

When you do, the benefits are enormous. Think reduced stress and more inner space as you go through your day.  Better relationships, because you’ll have more patience and empathy for others. It will help you professionally as your thinking becomes clearer and faster.

Most importantly, however, when you’re calm, clear, and content as a mom, your children will reflect this right back to you.  It’s because your energy field forms the basis for theirs.  Children mimic everything we do, feel, and say, even more than we’re aware.   

My favorite mental self care tool is meditation, hands down.  But all of the following practices, however simple they might seem, are important and not to be dismissed.   

10 Essential Mental Self Care Tips

1. Get Enough Sleep

We all know what it feels like when we don’t get a good night’s sleep: fatigue, irritability, and even confusion.  

Getting enough sleep gives your brain and body the ultimate reboot.  Sleep isn’t a passive state; your body is actively working to support brain function and physical health.  Quality sleep sets the foundation for all self care activities, much like the strong foundation of a house.

Prioritize sleep to set yourself up for success the next day.  For most adults, between 7 and 9 hours of sleep is ideal.  Take active steps to invest in good sleep hygiene, with examples below.

• If your kiddo waking up at night is your challenge, talk with your partner about taking turns or try finding a creative solution that protects your sleep. 
• Put away your devices at least one hour before bedtime. 
• Create a cool (between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit or 15 and 19 degrees Celsius), dark, and quiet environment.  
• Pamper yourself with nice, cooling sheets and comfy pajamas.
• Avoid caffeine or heavy meals close to bedtime.  
• Try Yoga Nidra, which can help you fall asleep without the need for any substances.

You work hard all day, and every day.  You deserve a good night’s sleep. 

2. Move Your Body

“All life needs to move,” is the advice of Dr. Gladys McGarey in her book, The Well-Lived Life.  As a still-practicing holistic doctor at the age of 102 (at the time of the book), Dr. McGarey advised that physical (and other) movement was essential for a healthy and joyful life.  

Indeed, movement is more than fitness.  Regular physical activity releases happy chemicals in your brain and boosts your mood.  It can also improve cognitive functions, such as memory and decision-making.  It will raise your energy levels and help you feel stronger.  

Energetically, movement can help ground you and clean your energy centers (or chakras).  Each of your energy centers affects your physical and mental well-being. 

You don’t have to sign up for an expensive gym membership.  Consider taking a short walk outside with your kiddo.  Walking between 10 and 20 minutes every day can have surprisingly powerful benefits for your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.  

3. Take a Break and Ask For Help

As moms, we really need to take breaks more often. 

Of course, I’m not talking about irresponsibly leaving your children unattended.  It’s super challenging to create space between you and your child when they’re infants or toddlers.  But I find that moms don’t take nearly enough breaks as they need, even when the kids are older. 

It doesn’t even need to be a big break.  Let them play by themselves while you’re on the other side of the room, having a cup of tea. 

If they’re being challenging and you sense your inner dragon coming out, take a few steps back, physically, and do something unexpected, like jumping jacks. 

Sometimes, a good babysitter or a mama’s helper can go a long way to help you keep your sanity.  If paid childcare is hard to come by, arrange a childcare share with another family, where you can swap childcare times. 

At the very least, take some time for yourself on the days when you can leave childcare to your partner.  Do only those things that you enjoy. 

Taking a break from the grind is not at all selfish.  It is essential for your mental health, and your family will thank you in the long run. 

4. Nurture Social Connections

Motherhood can leave you lonely sometimes, even though you’re constantly around other people.  It can be especially tough for new moms or if you’ve just moved to a new place.   

Strong relationships are a cornerstone of mental well-being. 

Studies show that loneliness and social isolation have similar impacts on your health to smoking and alcohol consumption.  It is also a determinant of depressive symptoms and disorders, along with blood pressure and even mortality.   

The good news, though, is that moms are usually very open to meeting other moms, and there are many opportunities for groups, if you’re interested.  The PTA, local volunteer organizations, play groups, and book clubs.  

It doesn’t have to be a big thing to expand your social circle.  As always, start with something you feel comfortable with and continue to explore.  You might find yourself in the center of a new community in no time.

5. Eat Nutritious Foods

A healthy diet leads to a healthy life, and yes, even for moms.  We deserve more than the leftovers from our children’s plates or the last-minute grab on the go. 

We have all heard the phrase, “We are what we eat.”  This is especially relevant these days, when super-processed foods take up the dominant share of the grocery store aisles.  

Your brain needs essential nutrients—vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, and fats—to function properly.  And certain neurotransmitters, like serotonin, are mostly produced in your digestive tract, which is affected by the balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria.

This means that the foods you eat can directly impact your moods and mental wellness.  Studies show that people who eat a traditional Mediterranean or Japanese diet are about 25 percent to 35 percent less likely to suffer from depression than those who eat “Western” diets, for example.

The picture becomes even more pressing when, if you’re anything like me, you find yourself suddenly in the middle of perimenopause. 

Frequent brain fogs, insomnia, and energy swings.  Irregular periods and bursts of irritability.  Any and all are possible, and your diet is a big component.

The best nutrition comes from fresh foods that come directly from Mother Earth, including proteins and a variety of leafy greens, fruits, and whole grains.  Read ingredient labels when buying processed foods, and stick with those with fewer, preferably organic, ingredients.  

If you don’t have enough time to cook, try simple meal planning techniques to plan for fresh ingredients.  Remember that perfection is never the goal, and try making small changes at a time in the right direction.

6. Write It Down in a Journal

Okay, so I know moms don’t have a lot of time to journal.  But writing down your thoughts and feelings on paper is like free therapy, especially if you do so without judgment. 

Freewriting is the act of letting the words flow out of your hands without stopping or correcting.  As a journaling technique, it allows your stream of consciousness to flow and is a great way to release your negative emotions and thoughts.  

Like talking to a trusted friend or a therapist, you’ll feel calmer and lighter after writing it all down.  It will also give you the much-needed clarity in complex situations, letting you know how to move forward.

Dedicate some time—it doesn’t have to be every day—to write about your life.  A beautiful blank journal can inspire you to jumpstart your practice.  

7. Spend Time in Nature

Spending time in nature is associated with a variety of benefits, according to the American Psychological Association, including “improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders, and even upticks in empathy and cooperation.”

Even spending just 20 minutes a day in nature can have a huge impact on lowering your stress hormones, according to research.  

It may be because our bodies can access more life energy, or chi or prana, when we are outside.  This impact is even more amplified if you let your skin touch the ground, as Mother Earth helps ground us and balance the electrical charge of your body.

Spend time outside today, and bring your kiddos with you!  Breathe in that fresh air, take a walk, and touch the Earth.  See how it makes you feel.

8. Learn Something New

A mom is already learning something new all the time.  This is because we are constantly reacting to the growth of our children, which often comes with a surprise, and changing with them. 

If you’re a mom who works outside the home, you’re also constantly being challenged professionally, too. 

Either way, though, the learning I’m talking about here is something very specific.  I’m talking about learning that brings you excitement and joy, and energizes you.  Brings you to a state of flow and wonderment. 

For me, learning about energy and consciousness has always been a theme that I just can’t seem to get enough of.  But over the years, it’s also included gardening and permaculture, pie baking, pickling, and painting. 

I see other moms do it all the time, too.  Homesteading, sourdough baking, real estate, photography, knitting, creative writing, and even puppeteering! 

You don’t have to become an expert on anything.  But learning something new about the subject of your interest is like a balm for your mind and soul. 

It can bring you closer to your local community and connect you to new opportunities or like-minded friends.  It just may be the thing that gets you by during your most stressful times.

9.  Meditate or Practice Mindfulness

Meditation, my friends, is how I got out of my depression and how I continue to feel good every day.

Mindfulness is the practice of bringing awareness to what’s happening in and around you.  Meditation is a more formal practice of mindfulness, in which you dedicate some quiet time to go inward and focus.  

Mindfulness and meditation help you become more aware of your negative thoughts, regulate your responses, and reduce emotional suffering.  They create space between trigger and response, leading to greater clarity, calm, and emotional resilience.

Take advantage of a meditation app like Insight Timer, which offers free courses and guided meditations.  Starting with just a few minutes a day, mindful meditation might involve focusing on your breath and noticing physical sensations.  

The goal isn’t to stop thinking but to change your relationship with your thoughts, seeing them as passing events rather than fixed truths.

As your practice grows stronger, you’ll find that this spacious sense of calm will carry through your everyday life.  I bet your children will notice your new energy and may thank you later. 

10. Seek Professional Help

In life, there are times when getting the help of a support group or professional counselor is not only appropriate but also crucial.  

An honest conversation about your mental and emotional distress with a professional can give you new and healing understandings about yourself.  It can also give you access to medicines that can help you chemically. 

Now, I want to make clear that I am not advocating for a blanket use of prescription drugs to “fix” us.  I’ve actually met psychiatrists who are too willing to dispense medicines.  I also acknowledge many side effects that can come with pharmaceuticals for the brain. 

But I also know that it can help people in dire situations, when used judiciously and as intended. 

Start with talk therapy if you believe that your mental and/or emotional state is interfering with your life.  If you don’t have insurance or can’t afford care, try searching for local health clinics or group therapy. 

It may take a few tries to find the right therapist for your needs.  But stick with it, and talk therapy can be a part of your next healing journey.  

Final Thoughts 

Tending to your mental well-being isn’t optional or indulgent. It’s foundational. It’s responsible. And it’s one of the most powerful gifts you can offer your children.

No matter where you’re starting from—exhausted, overwhelmed, or simply wanting to feel more like yourself—small, intentional mental self care practices can shift your entire inner landscape. You are not behind. You are not alone. And you deserve support, rest, and tools that help you feel steady and whole.

Invest in your mental self care today. Your mind, your heart, and your family will feel the difference.