If you’re struggling to prioritize self-care in your daily routine, we’ve got your back! First off, it isn't selfish to crave some self-care. A little r&r is always needed to help you look and feel your best. Better yet, the rewards promote health and wellness benefits, so talk about a win-win. We’re here to make self-care a daily ritual, not just something you look forward to every Sunday!
If you are looking to reduce stress and anxiety, create healthy habits and boost overall wellness, your daily self-care is essential!
What is self-care?
Before we get into it, it’s important for you to understand what self-care is. Self-care is the ability to look after your own health. It’s the practice of listening to your body, taking time to check-in with yourself to give your body what it is craving. Self-care covers all areas of health and wellness, from physical health, stress and overall lifestyle. There is no right or wrong way to practice self-care, rather it is a range of practices based on your needs. No matter where you are in life, or how you are feeling, your body is always in need of some self-care!
What are examples of self-care?
Self-care can be broken down into different areas, aka different practices. As stated above, there is no one way to practice self-care. Instead it is all about paying attention to your body and its needs. It is important to be attentive to your needs to ensure you don't neglect how you feel. Below are the most popular self-care practice areas:
- Physical: Your health = wealth. Do not ever take it for granted! Take care of your health through diet, sleep, exercise and hygiene. This also means taking time off of physical activities to focus on yoga, messages or rest days.
- Mental: Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Take the time to teach yourself new skills/hobbies, read a book or write in a journal. Take a break from social media, as your mind needs this every once in awhile.
- Emotional: Your emotions matter. Allow yourself to feel all of your emotions, without holding anything back. Be expressive with how you feel!
- Social: Your relationships are important, so cherish them. Take the time to work on your relationships with your partner, your family and friends. You need these relationships in your life to help with overall wellbeing.
- Spiritual: Your spiritual/religious practices mean something. Dedicate time to connect with God or nature, practice mindfulness and express gratitude. This will help shift your perspective and improve your mood, too.
How to create a self-care plan
When it comes to creating a self-care plan, the first step is to lay the foundation for your new routine. Follow these steps below to build your foundation so that your new self-care treatment is a step you refuse to skip.
- Assess your current situation: First and foremost, evaluate your current self-care situation. What area(s) are you struggling with and why? How much time are you spending on self-care per day, week, month? Which areas of self-care need more attention and how will you go about this? This is also a great time to put together your own self-care kit. A few things to include in your kit include a journal, some candles, headphones and a book. This kit will help set you up for self-care success.
- Write a list of intentions and goals: After you assess your current self-care situation, take out your notebook and jot down your intentions and goals. What steps do you need to take in order to achieve your specific self-care needs? What is your intention for each self-care practice? What are your short and long-term goals for each practice? Think of this exercise as a way to vision and determine the energy behind your goals. It will really make a difference. (Note that your goals and intentions may change over time and that is normal!)
- Research habits to add to your routine: Once you complete your intention and goals list, it’s time to move on to action steps! Again, grab your notebook and write a list of habits you want to include in your self-care routine. Make sure to be specific here, and come up with habits for each self-care practice that you want to incorporate in your ritual. An effective self-care plan can easily be integrated into your daily routine, without any ridiculous habits that you know you won’t be able to achieve.
- Give your space some love and attention: Every successful self-care routine has its own space, so make sure to find yours and give it some love. Swap out the old chair at your desk for a new, comfy one, invest in some new books, organize your beauty drawer and store all the healthy snacks at the front of the fridge for easy access. It’s so important to create an environment that feels safe and special.
- Rest and reflect on your goals: One of the most important aspects of self-care is to rest. It’s important to take this time to step back and relax for a bit. You may feel a bit overwhelmed as you start to adjust to your new schedule, but don’t sweat it. Allow your body the time to rest, so that when you wake up, you feel motivated and productive to move forward.
- Now the fun begins! So you’ve spent some time assessing your current situation, creating your goals and intentions, identifying habits, adjusting your space and resting, now it’s time to get the ball rolling. Listen to your body and give it what it needs! Whether that be rest, a bubble bath, some quiet time outside, a jog at the park, or a little retail therapy, you deserve it. Try to set aside the same time block each day for your self-care ritual so that overtime, it becomes a habit that you never skip.
Once you have your new self-care plan down, it’s important to check-in with yourself regularly to ensure you are on the right path. Make any adjustments and switch up your practices as needed. As long as you continue to dedicate this time to yourself daily, you will start to look and feel amazing. And as always, remember that yes, you deserve this time!
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