Hi girls, how are you today?
Have you ever been so consumed with life and work that you ultimately forgot to take care of yourself?
I must admit that, after a difficult year such as 2020, making the conscious effort to take care of my mental, physical and spiritual health has been my upmost priority.
Most of us know that we should be practicing self-care, but when it comes to implementing it into our daily lives, we struggle to maintain consistency (which is the key to improvement).
Sure, once-in-a-blue-moon you stop to exercise, eat healthier, take care of your skin and perhaps even read a book but in its essence, self-care is about regular activities that help you recharge and make you feel good.
Therefore, if you’re not making time for daily self-care, you’re more likely to feel stressed, unfulfilled and overwhelmed.
Keep reading this post to understand how adopting a self-care routine can improve your life (and of those around you) in a variety of aspects.
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How to Create a Self-Care Routine That You Follow Consistently
Step 1) Don’t Feel Bad About Making Yourself a Priority
Step 2) Find Activities You Enjoy Doing
To create a daily self-care routine that works for you and your lifestyle, it is crucial that you do something that you enjoy so it motivates you to practicing it continually
(Remember, self-care is a continuous habit rather than a one-time thing).
If you’re unsure what activity motivates you, try experimenting with different things until you find something that lights you up and makes you happy.
Here are some self-care routine ideas to get you started:
- Reading
- Yoga
- Listening to podcasts or audiobooks
- Going for a walk
- Journaling your thoughts
- Cooking
- A beauty care routine
- Eating a rich, fulfilling breakfast
Keep in mind that your self-care routine should be tailored to you and you alone.
If you’ve tried say, mediation, and you felt like this wasn’t meant for you, don’t stress over it. Not everyone is the same.
Try new things that fuel your brain and creativity, and find what works best for YOU.
PS – It’s important to remember that your self-care routine doesn’t have to be lengthy, complicated or tiring.
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 your current lifestyle, and adjust it as you go.
Which takes me to my next point:
Step 3) Be flexible
Commit to implementing your self-care routine while allowing yourself to play around with how and when 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.
Remember to be forgiving of yourself and be flexible.
A good tip is to have a list of self-care ideas that you enjoy. This way you can easily select from it and adapt as needed.
STEP 4) Make It a Habit
Don’t be fooled that people who practice self-care routine always want to meditate or read a book. Many times it is easier to just sit on the couch and watch TV (I get it). But those who benefit from the results of their self-care are the people who consciously make it a daily habit to follow through.
Truth is, if we don’t make time for self-care, we probably won’t find the time for it.
That is why it is important to make your self-care routine a non-reschedulable appointment with yourself. Schedule it in your calendar and set reminders if you must. And stick to it, habitually.
Examples of how to make your self-care routine a daily habit
If you must, block off 30 mins in the morning to do yoga and 30 mins at night to read. Be sure to inform your family, partner or roommates what times you will be unavailable.
Make it as official as possible.
Self-care routine ideas at home
To end this post, I want to dive a little deeper into some self-care routine ideas and their respective benefits that might help inspire and motivate you to follow them consistently.
1. Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning
Even if you don’t necessarily feel thirsty.
We often wake up after a night’s sleep slightly dehydrated, which often means starting your day off feeling crappy.
Here are 5 benefits to drinking more water throughout the day
- It leads to better skin complexion,
- It helps prevent headaches,
- Drinking more water helps relieve constipation,
- It increases your energy levels naturally
- and can even aid with weight loss.
2. Meditate
The first day I tried meditation I only put 5 minutes on the clock. The following day, I felt like I could go on to 10 minutes. As time went by, not only it felt natural to increase my time dedicated to mediating, but it was easier to focus and find internal balance.
Here are 5 benefits to mediating:
- Increases your patience and tolerance.
- It helps you gain new perspective on stressful situations
- Builds skills to manage your stress.
- Increases self-awareness.
- Reduces negative emotions.
3. Go for a walk outside
It doesn’t have to be an ambitious walk. Anything from 15 minutes to 1h can have immense benefits to your mind, body and soul.
So instead of waking up and simply wasting those precious moments before working mindlessly scrolling through social media, make good use of those minutes and go for a walk.
Breathe in the fresh air, take a moment to reflect on the previous, and get ready for a productive exciting day ahead of you.
5 benefits of going for a walk:
- It helps you sleep better at night
- It lowers heart rate
- Going for a walk also reduces stress levels
- It boosts mental health
- Lastly, it stimulates the immune system.
4. Stretch your body
Stretching is amazing and should be practiced first thing in the morning, (preferably even before getting out of bed).
Oftentimes, with the rusgh to starting our day, we simply jump out of bed without giving our body the proper time to wake up. Tjis can lead to muscle tension and fatigure throughout the day.
five benefits of stretching habitually
- Stretching can improve posture
- It can heal and prevent back pain
- With time, it can help increase your flexibility
- Stretching can decrease muscle soreness.
- Lastly, it helps increase the blood flow to your muscles
5. Take good care of your skin (beauty care)
Do you wash your face when you wake up? Do you use any soap for it, or simply splash water to your face?
Make a habit of taking care of your skin by applying proper soap and follow up with a beaurty care regime. This includes applying a toner, serums, hydrating cream and, if you have enough time, a face mask.
Don’t forget to finalize it with sunscreen (even in rainy days, girls)
Try clay masks.
In fact, clay masks are just as beneficial for your well-being as it is for your skin, because it serves as a time to take a break and treat yourself. Make it a habit to do a weekly clay mask and you’ll see how it will soothe and soften your skin, plus relax and revitalize your mind.
RELATED: Different types of clay masks and their benefits for the skin
5 benefits of skincare in the morning:
- It helps your skin stay in good condition: You’re shedding skin cells throughout the day, so it’s important to keep your skin glowing and in good condition.
- An effective routine can help prevent acne and wrinkles
- It relaxes you
- It helps keep your skin looking its best
- Finally, it will ultimately elevate your self-esteem
To Conclude | Should you start a self-care routine?
Practicing self-care not only allows us to help ourselves, but to help others as well.
Having a consistent self-care routine in place tends to improve our immunity, increase positive thinking and make us less susceptible to stress, depression, anxiety and other emotional health issues.
If you make the conscious effort and take time for even just a few minutes of daily self-care, you will be able to show up to the world from a place of inner peace, and ultimately things will likely feel much easier.
What self-care activity that gets you excited to get out of bed?
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