We all know the relevance of self-care routines in our lives, but when it comes to implementing them in our daily routines, it’s a struggle. But hey, don’t be too hard on yourself. The struggle is real for all of us. Self-care is all about listening to what your body needs and understanding all the cues it shows you.
Sure, your once-in-a-blue-moon pop-up to the gym, spa appointment, or social outings is considered as self-care, but the true meaning of this starts with regular activities that, well, make you feel good.
No doubt! It’s not easy but today is your lucky day. We are going to highlight some of the simple ways on how to start a self-care routine. And here’s the icing on the cake: you don’t have to struggle with it. Simply put, pick a few that you can comfortably engage in, and that’s it, girl! So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Table of Contents
1. Don’t do things you hate
First off, don’t do anything that you hate, and I insist. Forget that mumbo jumbo that, ‘you’ll fall in love with it in the long run.’ But if that’s your style, then you do, you sis. Honestly, there’s no right way to self-care routines. As the name suggests, it’s all about you. What works for you? What do you like? Heck, what do you enjoy doing? That’s where the secret lies.
The key to sticking to your self-care routines is by doing activities that you love and always look forward to. That will essentially help you create that perfect life-work balance with little to no struggle at all. Remember your self-care routine should be designed for you and you alone.
2. Organize your time
A week has 168 hours, but we all have different schedules. That said, sit down with a pen and paper (I like noting things down on paper, but your smartphone will also do) and break down your time. Start by listing your working hours so you can understand how much time you have for self-care. That will allow you to control your time instead of it controlling you.
Also, ensure you break down your hours in the most realistic way possible. Once you’ve done that, ask yourself: how can I make the rest of the hours work for me? To be more specific, how can I make the rest of the hours rejuvenate my spirit? The most crucial part is that you can update it or modify it if anything changes in your daily routines. Here’s my Sunday routine for a productive week!
3. Stimulate Your Mind
Most people will mistake self-care for hiding in a stimulation-free bubble. However, that’s not the case here. There are plenty of incredible options that will engage your intellect in the service of self-care. That way, you will use your brain to enjoy your time and not work. Some of these options include; playing trivia games, reading books or magazines, writing entries in your journal, engaging in an enlightening conversation, playing your favorite musical instrument, and meditation!
4. Practice Saying No
In our day-to-day lives, we often expected to say ‘yes’ to a lot of demands throughout the day. That could happen either at home or at work, leaving you extremely overwhelmed at the end of the day. As part of practicing your self-care routine, you need to learn how to say ‘no’ to protect your space, energy, resources, and sanity.
Also, give yourself time to consider instead of jumping in and saying yes right away. At first, this may feel a little selfish. However, when you put yourself first and break that pattern of habitually saying ‘yes’ to everything, you will gather more vitality and energy to help yourself and others too.
5. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
We are always encouraged to be accountable, but when it comes down to comparing ourselves to others, this can be awfully detrimental. When you compare yourself to others, you hold yourself back from your true happiness and giving to the world all that you have to offer. If you have been struggling with this, you can take the bold step of cutting back on your social media time.
When you are less connected to the world through social media, you get more time on your hands to focus on all the qualities you love about yourself. In essence, compare yourself with the person you were yesterday, not who someone else is today. That way, you will learn to appreciate your growth.
And while at it, take time and recognize your successes. Celebrate those small wins and strengths that you’ve been able to achieve over time. In fact, you can use this time to recognize and list areas you have well succeeded in and your personal strengths.
6. Keep it real
Without a doubt, setting any unrealistic expectations is a recipe for self-sabotage. Instead of going straight from no hours of self-care to six hours a day, why don’t you start with an hour a day? Set smaller goals and simple tasks at first while ensuring that you reassess them regularly. When adding new routines into your program, don’t just look at the long-term gains from it but focus on implementing such exercises. For instance, how will you make room for such activities? Remember, each action will also have a consequence and compromise.
7. Start simple
When it comes to self-care routines, it’s easy to drown in the complexities of the practices. At the end of the day, it helps if you keep in mind that this routine is meant for your wellbeing, not to puzzle your mind further. One of the best things to do is to keep it simple. For instance, are you sleeping enough? Then you can move up a little to areas in your life that might require a little more attention from you, like relationship matters, creativity, among others.
Once you’ve identified areas in your life that might require more attention, take a minute and list simple tasks to improve such areas. Everything else adds up easily from there. In fact, your self-care routine will end up being a fun experience if you take it slow.
8. Focus on consistency
The maximize on your self-care routine, you will need to be consistent. Otherwise, the entire program will barely yield any fruit. But if you are okay with the bare minimum, then it’s fine. However, if you are in it for the long-term benefits, then consistency is key. More importantly, set achievable goals, such as breathing exercises for twenty minutes or even walking from work while contemplating your life.
Both are effective ways of self-care and will only take a few minutes of your time. A few minutes of self-care is better than none. Please take a minute or two to remember your body needs it more than ever. Once you realize the importance of self-care, those few minutes will feel like nothing to you.
9. Stop Being a Perfectionist
Perfect has always been the enemy of good. In most cases, perfectionism will hold you back from realizing your full potential. Instead of beating yourself down, sometimes time give yourself room for things to get a little messy. It’s okay if your busy thoughts swirl around in your head during meditation or if you can’t get your favorite recipe right.
No one is perfect. You’d be surprised to learn that even most of the success stories we hear about today were all created from extreme failure and doubts. When you let go of that notion of perfection, you give your body and mind the chance to try and fail until you get it all right.
10. Have A Healthy Diet
Lots of folks mistake emotional eating for self-care. But, when you’re looking for tranquility, don’t forget about your health. Healthy eating is beneficial to the body. It’s more of a self-care gesture that will quickly lift your spirits. You will feel refreshed and invigorated if you provide your body with just the correct amount of minerals and vitamins.
Rather than storing up on junk food, choose plant-based foods that are easy to digest and beneficial to your gut. Healthy foods can also be delicious. That way, instead of slumping over and sluggish, you’ll spend your self-care time feeling light and vibrant.
11.Understand why you need self-care in your life
For you to even commit to this program, you need to understand its importance to your life. Self-care is a clinically proven way of eliminating stress, depression, anxiety, and frustration. Additionally, this routine helps to increase happiness and also improves energy.
The best part about self-care is that it reduces the chances of suffering from burnout. Even with all these benefits, the important part of this routine is asking yourself; what will self-care do for me? Once you can answer that question, you’ll be dedicated to it.
To Sum It All Up…
Self-care is an important part of life. Regular self-care routines will leave you feeling refreshed a ready to tackle whatever challenges come your way. All in all, you should always remember that this program is designed for you by you. So, ensure it fits your specific lifestyle and it’s something that you love.
Leave a Reply