Why Self-Care Is Ineffective For Working Moms (And How 10 Minutes/Day Can Change Everything.)

Mama, if your schedule has room for everyone else, it has room for you.

I’ve seen it again and again with working moms in therapy: They show up for everyone else - drive their kids to practice, answer work emails at 9 pm, fold laundry when they should probably be sleeping, but then I tell them to take ten minutes to just move, and suddenly, there’s no time.

We’ve convinced ourselves that "real" self-care has to be this big, demanding exercise. But movement is far from that; all you need is ten minutes of you actually showing up for yourself.

10 to 20 minutes of regular movement (see what that looks like here) regulates your nervous system, reduces anxiety, and helps you show up calmer and less reactive - so you are not constantly one spilled juice box away from a meltdown.

It’s not about weight loss, it’s about reminding your body that you matter too.

Check out episode 2 of the Survival To Self-Care series to learn what that looks like.

The "Start-Stop" Self-Care Cycle is Exhausting

Self-care tips are great for a week, but structure is what actually keeps you afloat.

• Without structure: You "try" to exercise when you remember, feel bad when you don't, and swear you'll restart (again) on Monday.

• With structure: You have a "Plan B" for when the kids are sick, you know what actually gives you energy, and you don't spiral when the week goes sideways.

This is exactly why I put together The Ambitious Mom Reset. I’m over the generic "drink more water" advice. This is a framework for making self-care sustainable when your life is actually messy.

What’s actually in it:

• Self-Care Style Quiz

• 30+ Realistic Self-care Ideas

• Boundary Scripts: What to actually say to your partner or your boss to get five minutes of peace.

• The "Life Happens" Routines: Plans that don't fall apart the second a kid gets a fever.

Download The Ambitious Mom Reset here.

Not ready for the whole system yet? You can grab my free Mom Guilt Workbook—it has a solid little action plan to get you moving. There’s also a free 30-minute training where I break down how to actually do this when you’re busy.