I’m a big believer in self-care. It has a direct effect on your overall wellness and wellbeing and can benefit you in so many life-changing ways. Unfortunately, self-care is not always easy to fit into your schedule. When life gets busy, we often forget to take care of ourselves in the way that we need to, and the idea of attending to our self-care everyday seems impossible. That’s why I believe it’s so important to become intentional with your self-care. When you do this, you’ll find it easier to turn your self-care practice into more of a routine. Let’s dive into how you can create a self-care routine and some strategies to help you stick to it.
Let’s start with exploring some tactics that’ll help you create an intentional and realistic self-care routine.
Find out what self-care means to you.
Before you create a self-care routine, it’s important to think about what self-care actually means to you. Check out my Where Self-Care Begins post to learn more about how you can connect to your idea of self-care. Take time to reflect on what you enjoy, what you need, and how to connect to your mind and body. When you cultivate a sense of self-awareness, the possibilities of your self-care will skyrocket.
Make self-care a priority.
Prioritize your self-care in the same way that you would prioritize anything else in your life that you care about. If you remind yourself of the importance of self-care in your life, and view it as one of your priorities, you’ll be more likely to find the time to practice it often.
Be realistic.
Try to be realistic about how often you want to include self-care in your routine. If you have a particularly busy week coming up, maybe you know you won’t have as much time for your self-care as you would like. And that’s okay. You don’t need to feel pressured to practice it every single day without fail. Evaluate your situation and everything else happening in your life and be realistic about how often you’ll be able to make time for self-care.
Intentionally set aside time for your self-care practice.
During busy, stressful, and overwhelming periods of my life, self-care usually isn’t at the front of my mind. I forget to take time for myself simply because there are so many other things on my schedule. I’ve found that an effective way to deal with this is to intentionally set aside time for self-care. At first it may just seem like another task to add to your schedule, but planning your self-care practice might give you something to look forward to amidst the chaos of life. Pick a specific time of day to practice self-care. You may have to test out different times to figure out what works best for you. Maybe you discover that you prefer to engage with your self-care in the morning instead of at night. You could even decide to have multiple self-care routines throughout the day, like one in the morning and one in the evening. Do a little experimenting and discover when it is most convenient for you to practice self-care.
So once you have a self-care routine, how do you stick to it?
Write it down.
When I physically write out my schedule or to-do list rather than mentally make a list in my head, I’m more motivated to get those things done. I find it so satisfying to cross or check things off my list. This strategy can also be used for your self-care routine. Use a planner, journal, or even just a piece of paper, and take the time to write out all the things you want to accomplish for your self-care. Writing your routine down turns it into a visual representation, and maybe if you’re able to see it laid out for you, you’ll be more likely to do it.
Keep yourself accountable.
You can be as intentional as possible with your self-care routine goals, but you also have to be accountable to those goals. Don’t just say you’re going to practice self-care. You actually have to do it, too! Catch yourself when your routine fades because of busyness, mental health issues, or simply not believing you deserve self-care. Tell yourself you are worth it and you deserve it, no matter what else is going on in your life.
Recognize the benefits of your self-care.
When you start to engage with self-care more frequently, the benefits will come rolling in. Self-care will benefit you mentally, emotionally, and physically. Notice these benefits and what they add to your life and overall wellness. Don’t take them for granted. These benefits will give you a strong reason to stick with your self-care routine.
Check in with yourself frequently.
Take the time to reflect on how your self-care routine affects your life and wellbeing. Check in with your mind, body, and soul. Does your self-care practice make you feel more inspired, energized, and connected to yourself? Maybe you’re only doing some parts of self-care because you feel like you should and not because you actually enjoy them. Make sure your self-care practice and routine aligns with what you need and enjoy. If it doesn’t, you may need to re-evaluate your self-care activities and try something new.
Remind yourself that all of this is a practice.
If you create a self-care routine and at first you can’t seem to stick to it, that’s okay. Don’t feel bad about yourself or think you’re destined for failure. Self-care is a practice, so the more you incorporate it into your life, the easier it will become to establish a routine that you can stick to.
Self-care is a gift we all deserve to give to ourselves. It helps nourish your mind, body, and soul. Your self-care routine can add so much to your day and transform the way you approach your life. Practice self-care as often as you can, whenever you can, and create a routine that works for you.
what do you think?