Introduction to Self Care
When was the last time you dedicated self-care time for yourself? It’s essential to mindfully put time aside to look after your own needs. The task for this week is to practice self-care by doing one thing every day that focuses on you. Being mindful about dedicating time to self-care is crucial, and it’s something that should be made a priority in life to maintain balance every day.
1. Create a Gratitude Journal
The gratitude journal used is called The 52 Lists Project, with a list for every week of the year. It’s a beautiful book that has many lists to inspire self-care and appreciate the good things in life. Some list examples include The Happiest Moments in Your Life So Far, The Soundtrack of Your Life Right now, The Ways You Love to Have Fun, and List all the People that Brighten Your Day. Spend 5 minutes at the beginning or end of the day and reflect on what you are happy with in life. What are you proud of? What are you thankful for?
2. Rethink Your Bedtime Routine
Go to bed 30-45 minutes before you plan on falling asleep. Grab a book, diffuse essential oils, or write in a journal. The point is to unwind. You’ve probably been thinking about everyone else except yourself all day, so this alone time is essential to set yourself up for a good night’s sleep, de-stress, and do something that relaxes you.
3. Go on a Date…with Yourself
If you haven’t done this, do not hesitate to try the ‘self-date’. Do you ever notice that it’s hard to find someone that likes doing exactly everything you like to do? Well, that’s okay. Do it with yourself and for yourself. When spending time with yourself, take a long walk, get a delicious coffee, and enjoy while watching life and people go by. Then, go for a pedicure and take full advantage of the chair massager! Later, pick up some inexpensive flowers from the market.
4. Learn to Say No
You know when you feel you need to be somewhere, you need to call someone, or you need to do a favor for someone? Sometimes you just need to say no – to yourself and to others. Some people tend to overdo it and think of everyone but themselves. Saying no to that party on Saturday night or to that friend asking you to house sit is okay. Learning to let that guilty feeling go will empower you. It will help you put yourself first, which is essential to keep balance in your life.
5. Make a Happiness Playlist
It’s proven that happy music can lift your spirit and literally set you up for a positive day. If you’re not already on Spotify, sign up! You can set up a free account and create tons of playlists. Once you have your happy playlist – listen to it when you wake up, when you’re in the shower, on your way to work, or while eating breakfast. If you wanna get a dance party started – even better!
6. Eat Well
You know it’s been a bad week when your fridge is a mess, you miss meals, or eat poorly. By fueling your body with healthy food, you are boosting serotonin and reducing bloat, making you feel better overall. Tips to eat healthy when you don’t have time: find a healthy resource, make a healthy smoothie, and have healthy snacks on hand.
7. Get Moving
We all know that exercise reduces stress, improves your mood, and makes you feel great, yet many of us put it off. The trick: commit to doing something weekly (at the same time)… and don’t do this by yourself, as you want to have someone to motivate you to keep going. Some ideas to get moving: sign up for a weekly dance class, find a walking or running buddy, try a personal trainer, or set up a weekly virtual workout with a friend.
8. Do What You Love
A lot of people aren’t lucky enough to be in jobs they love. If you are, congratulations, you are doing something right! If you aren’t, just remember that life is a balance, and finding time to do the things you love can be done outside of work. If you love music, go to a concert. If you love nature, make time to get outside. If you love art, try a painting class or go to the art gallery.
9. Find Your Spirituality
Whether you’re religious or not, think of being spiritual as a time you dedicate for reflection. Meditate or pray, take a long walk, do some gardening, have a bath, drink tea, or practice yoga. The focus here is while you’re dedicating time to spiritual self-care, you can reflect on being in the present, clearing your mind, and focusing on the positive. Release your stresses and just be.