Most of us know that we should be practicing self-care, but when it comes to implementing it into our daily lives we struggle.
While you may be juggling several priorities at once, it often leads to leaving your own needs at the bottom of your to-do list.
Sure, your once-in-a-blue-moon social outings, salon appointments, and gym sessions might be considered self-care, but at its core self-care is about regular activities that help you recharge and make you feel good.
If you’re not making time for daily self-care, you’re more likely to feel stressed, unfulfilled and overwhelmed.
Becoming the best version of yourself involves taking care of your mind, body, and soul. When you take care of yourself, you give yourself the fuel you need to show up as the best version of yourself in your everyday life.
To help you make self-care part of your daily routine and actually stick to it, here are 4 tips to get you started.
Don’t do things you hate
If you’re only doing something because everybody else is doing it but you absolutely hate it, the more likely it is that you won’t commit to it.
The key in sticking to your self-care routine is finding activities that you love and that you look forward to at the end of a long day.
To create a daily self-care routine that works for you and your lifestyle, try experimenting with different things that light you up and make you happy.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Reading
- Yoga
- Listening to podcasts
- Going for a walk
- Journaling
- Dance class
Try new things and find what works for you. Remember, your self-care routine should be tailored to you and you alone.
Plan ahead and schedule it
The truth is if we don’t make time for self-care, we probably won’t find the time for it. Make self-care a non-reschedulable appointment with yourself. Schedule it in your calendar and set reminders if you need to.
For example, block off 30 mins in the morning to do yoga and 30 mins at night to read. Tell your family or roommates what times you will be unavailable. Make it as official as possible.
It can even be something as simple as planning ahead and laying your clothes, bag, and lunch out the night before to alleviate some stress in the morning.
When you plan ahead and schedule self-care in, it becomes easier to fit it in your days.
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Keep your routine simple
One of my favorite (and maybe most important) ways that I have simplified self-care in my life is by adjusting my mindset around it.
I went from thinking it was just another thing on my plate to believing that it was a necessary part of my daily life. I went from feeling guilty about it to understanding that If I don’t do it, it’s a disservice to those around me.
Focus on the feeling practicing self-care gives you and let that dictate how you implement it into your days.
It’s important to remember that it doesn’t have to be lengthy, complicated or cost money.
The whole point of having a daily self-care routine is to help you recharge and relax, so make it as simple as you need it to be to fit into your lifestyle.
Remain flexible
Commit to implementing your self-care routine while allowing yourself to play around with how you implement it.
There are some days that will be easier to practice self-care and others that it might seem impossible. Things will get in the way and that’s an inevitable part of life.
When this happens, it’s important to let go of the reigns a bit. Don’t be too hard on yourself and remember that every day is a fresh start to get back to it. Your self-care routine won’t be perfect.
If your daily self-care goals are to get daily movement and nourish your mind give yourself permission to play around with how you will achieve those goals. Create a basic structure but stay flexible in your methods.
This is how I do it: I keep a list of my favorite self-care ideas. Some days, I have more time than others so I choose activities that I can take my time on. On days that I have limited time, I opt for quicker activities.
No two days are the same so I work with my schedule to figure out what works best for me at that moment.
Whether you’re just starting out with self-care or you’re struggling to get back into a routine, these tips will help guide you in sticking to a daily self-care routine that will bring joy, relaxation, and peace into your life.
