Self care should be part of your daily routine.
In order for you to be there in the way you want to show up for your loved ones, you have to be there for yourself and show up for you. One way to keep on top of your self care is to quite literally, add it to your “to-do” list. Add one or more self care tasks to your day planner, your calendar or your notes on your phone. They are just as non-negotiable as picking your kids up from school or making dinner!
Here are some ideas to get started with. But have fun with making your own self care list so you can have ideas to pull from daily. Make sure they are things that fill up your cup so you can show up for yourself in the same way you want to show up for your loved ones.
- Give yourself a manicure or pedicure.
- Read a book, magazine or online article for at least one hour.
- Sit outside. On a park bench, on your front porch, or patio. Just sit. Soak in the outdoor air.
- Waste time. Binge watch your latest favourite show on Netflix and give yourself permission to do so, without guilt.
- Sit in the grass. Feel the earth beneath you, supporting you.
- Walk around the grocery store with no list. Just buy whatever you want at that moment.
- Order your groceries online for delivery.
- Move your body. Go for a walk, run, do some yoga, take a bike ride.
- Do something that used to make you happy as a kid. Colour. Ice skate.
- Say no. If you don’t feel like doing something you’ve already committed to, say no.
- Take a drive. Head to your favourite spot in the mountains, or by your favourite lake. All by yourself. Just drive. Crank up the tunes and enjoy the open road.
- Eat slowly. Don’t rush your meal. Try not to sit at your desk and eat lunch. Make a lovely space at your kitchen table and really enjoy every single bite of your food.
- Organize, declutter and purge. Research some Marie Kondo techniques and then take some time to apply them to your life.
- Commit to meditation practice. Even if it’s only 5 minutes each day. Find time to sit silently and breathe.
- Get a massage, a facial, a reiki treatment, or acupuncture. Something to help you detox.
- Take a nap without an alarm clock. Just sleep until your body is ready to get up.
- Sit down and write in your journal. Set an alarm and just free-write for 15 or 20 minutes. You’d be surprised how quickly you can get into a flow with your thoughts.
- Find a new podcast that becomes part of your daily routine.
- Unplug from your phone for one hour. Just pretend it doesn’t exist and let yourself be caught up in the present moment.
- Make a Spotify playlist based on your current mood. Then you can go back to your playlists on days when you find yourself in the same place.
- Drink more water. Buy yourself a cup or glass that you enjoy drinking out of and taking with you on the go.
- Try baking or cooking something you’ve always been scared to try before. And if it gets ruined, no stress. You were just cooking for fun anyway.
- Immerse yourself in the culture of your own community. Go to the library, museum, visit an art installation or display. Attend an outdoor festival.
- Intentionally find five unexpected beautiful things on your way to work.
- Get up 15 minutes earlier every single day to spend time with yourself before your day gets going.