10 Healthy Habits for Moms

I know you’ve heard that having a good morning routine, or creating good daily habits is “life changing”.

I know you want to start doing this too. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.

As a mom, it can be hard to create, let alone keep up with, healthy habits and routines.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you buy from my link I might make a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay. See the full affiliate disclosure here.

Wake up early? No thanks. My alarm clock is my kid and don’t even think about getting me up before he wakes up.

Staying hydrated? Yea okay, if by hydrated you mean make sure I drink enough coffee to survive, sure I can stay hydrated.

This was me for a while after my son was born. Babies take a lot out of you, and even though I’ve always been an early riser, waking up before my son did not sound fun. It sounded dumb.

However, now that my son is almost a year and has had a pretty consistent routine (with some tweaks here and there) for a while now, I’ve felt comfortable the last little while starting and keeping up with a routine.

I knew this was important for me to start doing because, as a mom with postpartum anxiety, and who has generally had a rough time postpartum (as most moms do), healthy habits were something I needed to add to my life.

I’m not saying that creating a morning and night routine or creating a few healthy habits are going to cure you if you have ever dealt with postpartum anxiety or depression.

If you think or know you are dealing with this, please talk to your doctor! I did and I’m so glad I sought out help.

I do know that sticking to these few things has helped me immensely, and even though I have my slip ups and bad days, returning to these healthy habits gets me back on track.

(This post contains affiliate links. Find our full disclosure policy here.)

CREATE A MORNING ROUTINE

Mine goes something like this:

Wake up at 5:30am
Wash my face
Drink some water
Stretch
Read, write, or literally just sit and enjoy silence and a hot coffee
Shower if I have time before the baby wakes up (otherwise, I do it while he’s napping later)

I don’t like to eat first thing in the mornings because I get up so early, so usually I eat my breakfast when D has his morning snack, or while he’s napping.

These few things don’t take a lot of time and really set the tone for my day.

Sometimes I even make a list of things I want to get done or want to get out and do. I try not to put too much pressure on that list though, because D could wake up having a bad day or things just don’t get done for whatever reason. Life happens.

Create your own morning routine, or try mine out, and see if it doesn’t set the tone for a great day.

WAKE UP BEFORE THE KIDS

You’re probably thinking, are you kidding me my kids wake up at 6:00am every morning and you want me to get up before them!?

Yup.

My son wakes up between 6-7am most mornings. If he wakes up before that, usually he needs an adjustment in his schedule. If he wakes up after that, I check to make sure he’s breathing and thank the Good Lord.

Seriously though, I try my best to wake up around 5, 5:30am every day. This gives me time to drink some water, drink my coffee hot, shower, and just relax before the craziness of raising babies.

My son doesn’t stop moving. Ever. So, yea, I enjoy a few minutes in the mornings.

GET DRESSED

The simplest things can make the biggest difference.

Some days I have to force myself to get dressed. It just comes with the territory.

But I always know that when I do, no matter how my day is going to go, I got one thing done for myself. I got dressed.

I feel a million times better when I’m not in my pjs or sweats. It’s a simple task that means a lot.

GIRL, WASH YOUR FACE

Washing my face makes me feel so much cleaner and wakes me right up in the mornings!

Your face collects so much dirt and whatever else during the day, and through the night. It’s another one of those simple tasks that makes a big difference.

HYDRATE

No, I don’t mean with coffee.

You know it’s good for you to drink water. So, do it.

I try to drink a small glass before I even touch my coffee. I know giving my body that hydration before anything else does a better job of waking me up than the coffee, but I’m not going to give up coffee anytime soon.

I just make sure water comes first.

Make sure to hydrate throughout the day too.

PLAN YOUR DAY

As a mom I feel like my life revolves around time.

Nap time, snack time, bath time, dinner time, bedtime. Repeat forever.

Having a baby who’s been pretty good at keeping himself on a schedule, has made it easier for me to plan out our days.

I don’t plan everything down to the minute, but I decide where we’re going to go and when. We always have to leave the house or we both go crazy. It’s hard to do in the winter, but even more necessary.

So, I plan our outings and make a list of anything else I want to get done that day.

MEAL PREP

Meal prep has changed my life.

Especially doing baby led weaning with our son, prepping his meals for the next few days to a week has been a life saver.

It helps me make sure he gets a good variety of meals and makes my life so much easier.

If you love to snack as much as I do but want to eat better, Try an UrthBox Snack Subscription! They are an easy way to make sure you can still snack but do it healthily. Enjoy $10 Off an Awesome Snack Box From UrthBox!

I try to prep some things for me as well, so I actually manage to eat, and I prep hubby’s meals for work. We take turns making dinner, but usually there’s a side made up already.

Taking a little bit of time to prepare your family’s meals ahead of time saves you so much time and headache in the long run.

MOVE

Stretch, exercise, walk, run – I don’t care, just get moving!

You don’t have to go to the gym or anything crazy, just do a 15 minute Youtube video and call it a day.

I love to stretch first thing in the morning (as you can see from my morning routine). It helps energize me, gets the blood flowing and puts me in a good mood.

I also love to workout. I try and get to the gym a few times a week, but when it’s not possible there are so many easy home workouts you can do. Follow someone who posts ones you like on Instagram, find them on Pinterest, or watch a Youtube video.

Go for a walk with your kids or run with the stroller!

GET OUTSIDE EVERY DAY

This is so important for my mental health.

I am not a homebody.

I have found myself staying at home more often since having my son, but it’s more important now more than ever to breath in some fresh air and change up the scenery.

I really encourage you to take a walk, go to the grocery store, or even just step outside for 10 minutes. See if it doesn’t change your day.

CREATE A NIGHTLY ROUTINE

Having a nightly routine before bed helps you unwind and gets your body and mind ready for sleep.

I’ve always been someone who enjoys a morning routine (off and on through the years), but for the last 10 or so years of my life my sleep has been pretty rough.

I think as life got more stressful my sleep took a hit.

Then I had a baby, and what is sleep anymore.

I have a habit of laying in bed on my phone before I actually try and sleep, and we all know that never helps.

I’m not saying I turn my phone off an hour before bed or anything like that, but I do try and take a few minutes off my phone before bed and do something else to relax my mind. Usually, I read or stretch, or both if I’m really feeling crazy.

I still have my off nights, but I do find even if I don’t get much sleep the quality of my sleep us much better.

It’s something I’m still working on, but a good nightly routine is a start.

These simple healthy habits make a world of difference if you really stick to them. Even if you only pick two or three from this list to start (or one!) you are on the right track.