You’re staring down the barrel of another late night at work. Your house is a mess. You can’t even remember the last time you met up with your friends. In order to meet your deadlines, you eat at your desk, forget about exercise, sleep, and any unnecessary social interaction. When you’re stressed, self-care usually plummets to the bottom of your priority list. Let me explain what self-care is, why it’s important (even when you’re busy), and show you how to create a self-care routine that fits into your lifestyle.
What is self-care?
Simply put, self-care refers to the daily activities that you do to sustain good health and promote your development. It’s about prioritising your needs and nurturing yourself to prevent burnout. Self-care is not an extra activity that you have to try and squeeze into your day. It’s something that helps you to recharge so that you can live your best life!
I’m not saying you’re Kanye, but you are a complex individual. Did you know that there are five aspects or parts to yourself? You have physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual needs.
In order to care for your whole self, you need to take the time to complete activities that relate to each of these areas. Let’s take a closer look at the five aspects of self and some examples of relevant activities for each one. It might surprise you how easy they are to implement!
Why is self-care important?
We’ve all been there, living the week from hell, barely hanging on. When we’re busy, even just taking the time to go to the loo seems like a luxury! It may seem impossible, but taking the time to care for yourself is crucial if you want to avoid burnout, anxiety, insomnia, heart disease and range of other possible health issues. The work will get done. Why push yourself over the edge?
Just as self-care helps to maintain your health, it can also make you more productive. In high school, I once stayed up until 4 AM studying for a Geography exam. I was convinced that the harder I worked, (even if it meant sacrificing basic needs like sleep!) the better I would do in the exam. Guess what happened? I failed spectacularly. When you neglect basic self-care, you do not perform well. Overwork actually makes you less productive.
But isn’t self-care a bit… selfish? No! Think of it as a necessity to success. If you want to live your best life, you have to look after yourself and know your worth. When you do, you will feel happier, more confident and have higher self-esteem. Putting your best self forward will benefit you and everyone around you. Your needs are just as important as everyone else’s. Why not show yourself some love by making self-care a part of your daily routine?
How can I set up my own self-care routine?
1. Reflect
I’ve seen lots of self-care posts that are simply lists of self-care ideas. While those are all well and good, it makes me wonder what the point in having options is if you don’t know how to make the best choice! The very first step in setting up a self-care routine is to reflect. Think about what’s going on in your life right now. Are you stressed? What are you lacking? Are you exercising daily? What do you need to change to make things better? Do you need to say “no” to more responsibility? As you reflect, consider how this relates to each of the five aspects of self – physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual.
Answer the following questions in detail:
- How are you feeling?
- What isn’t working in your life?
- What do you need?
- How can you change things?
Example
Aspect of self |
Problem |
Solution |
Physical |
I struggle to attend the gym because I hate running. |
I will attend the gym’s yoga classes instead. |
Mental |
I want to be more creative as I never seem to get around to it. |
I will start a bullet journal and complete it every night instead of going on Facebook. |
Emotional |
I feel stressed because I am taking on too much responsibility at work. |
I need to say “no” to projects that I do not have capacity to complete at the moment. |
Social |
I need to spend more time with friends because I hardly ever see them. |
I will have a girls’ night once a month. |
Spiritual |
I feel separated from God and need to reconnect. |
I will read my Bible every morning before work. |
2. Find support
I know you’re a strong, independent woman, but we all need a little help sometimes. When you tell someone about what you plan to do, it not only makes you more accountable, but it makes it easier for you to take some time for self-care. You don’t need a mentor. A parent, friend or partner will do! For example, I tell my husband that I want some time to myself, so he doesn’t come into our room to distract me until I come looking for him. It’s simple things like this that make self-care possible!
3. Work out your budget
Self-care doesn’t have to cost money, but if you can afford it, it’s nice to pay for the occasional treat. I like having a massage now and again, but I know that I can’t afford to have one every month, so I aim to have one once a year. How much can you afford to put aside to fund your self-care? If your answer is zero, there are plenty of free options out there, so don’t worry. We can work with this!
4. Make your selection
Now that you’ve done all the prep, it’s time to choose your activities! On the infographic, I gave four examples for each aspect of self. Which ideas appeal and which would be most beneficial to you? You can come up with your own ideas if my examples aren’t your style. I promise I won’t be offended! The important thing is that you choose activities that work for you so that you can recharge effectively. Need some inspiration? Click here.
Now that you’ve made your choices, create a written menu of self-care options that you can refer to help with the problems you outlined in Step #1. Be as creative as you want! Your menu could be a section in your bullet journal, a table, list, or even a MindMap. I encourage you to complete your menu now as taking action will push you to get started on self-care today. Here’s mine:
5. Schedule it
Put your money where your mouth is! You’ve done the hard work, now open up your calendar and block out at least 10 minutes a day for self-care. Go! In order to cover each aspect of self, you could commit to covering a different aspect every day. Scheduling time for self-care is just as important as your regular dental check-up, and adding self-care to your schedule will encourage you to show up for yourself. You make time for that middle-aged drill-bearing tormentor every six months. Why wouldn’t you make time for something nice?
Self-care should be a must every single day, but when things get tough, it’s easy to write it off as unimportant. If you want to keep in good health, be more productive and live your best life, creating your own self-care routine is essential. By reflecting on your current circumstances, seeking support, working out a budget, choosing the best activities for you and scheduling self-care into every day, you can start enjoying life again!
What’s your favourite self-care method? Add your ideas to the comments below.
Keen to create a self-care routine, but feeling a little overwhelmed by these steps? Grab your FREE copy of the Self-Care Queen Workbook now!
Look after yourself!
Grace x
