Being a mom has always been as challenging as it is rewarding. While raising a family is certainly a joyful experience, it also requires quite a bit of effort.

Unfortunately, that’s not changing anytime soon. Surveys indicate moms are more likely than ever to work, and work often. Despite this, they’re still typically expected to handle most of the housework as well. Whether you’re dropping off or picking up from school, preparing healthy kids meals, doing laundry, or going to work, today’s moms are more overworked and exhausted than ever before.

Does that sound familiar? If so, keep the following self-care tips in mind. You can’t take care of the important people in your life if you don’t take care of yourself first! Luckily, by following this advice, you’ll find the time to do so, even with a busy lifestyle.

Prioritize Your To-Do List

Creating a to-do list is key to using your time as efficiently as possible. The more you get done, the more opportunities you have to relax.

However, creating the list is just one step. You also need to prioritize your tasks. Some tasks may need to be completed right away, while others can be put off until later.

Just make sure that self-care is one of your top priorities. When you treat it as an essential responsibility, you’ll be more inclined to actually practice it.

Exercise

Being a mom can be draining. It’s understandable if you feel you don’t have the energy to work out.

That said, researchers have found that exercise actually gives you more energy in the long run. It also boosts your mood, promotes better sleep, and gives you chances to socialize, among other benefits.

Make sure it’s part of your self-care routine. If you don’t have time to go to the gym, you can still work out at home by following along with exercise videos on YouTube or creating your own routine.

Sleep

On the topic of sleep: it’s important. Very important. Yes, being a busy mom can make you feel that you need to sacrifice sleep in order to get more done, but over time, lack of sleep will have a negative impact on your mood, health, and productivity, both at work and at home. When you get enough sleep, you’re doing everyone in your life, including yourself, a favor.

Use Your Commute Wisely

Heading to and from work every day may not be the most pleasant experience. However, you can genuinely use this time to practice self-care by listening to podcasts or audiobooks on interesting subjects. You have to commute anyway; you might as well enrich your mind while doing so.

Ask for Help

Many women feel the urge to be Supermom. The problem is, no one on the planet is actually superhuman. Everyone needs help from time to time, which makes asking for it is entirely justifiable.

The specific ways in which you’ll ask for help may vary depending on certain circumstances in your personal life. For example, if you’re too busy to pick up the kids from baseball practice, ask your spouse or a relative to. You may feel as though you don’t have the time for self-care now, but you can make the time with help from others.

Make it a Habit

Again, self-care must be a priority. It needs to be an integral part of your weekly schedule. Practicing self-care every now and then isn’t enough; to truly reap the benefits, it needs to become a habit.

These tips will help you achieve that goal. The more you implement them, the easier it will be to take care of yourself regularly. You, your family, and your employer will all benefit when you take the time to look after yourself!