Time is a precious commodity in this day and age.
So many obligations and responsibilities demand our time that it’s often hard to put the essential ahead of the urgent to-do list. Sure, you’d like to do more for yourself, but you’ve got a demanding job, kids, and/or a spouse. Good luck finding time for anything else!
And then, one day you look up and realize that you’ve gone too far down the path of self-neglect. What results is an uneasy roller coaster ride of mental breakdown (and possibly self-loathing). It’s a vicious cycle you know well.
So, instead, let’s explore the secret to proper & lasting self-care.
Change Your Days
Incorporate self-care into your days so that they are habits you barely notice. And watch as those new tiny habits take care of you effortlessly over the long term. Here’s how:
Get Up Earlier
Let’s face it. Often, if we don’t take care of ourselves first thing, it just doesn’t happen.
So, no matter what responsibilities lie ahead, the first few minutes of your day should be for YOURSELF. If that’s not happening, get up thirty minutes earlier. Starting tomorrow.
Then, listen to your favorite music upon waking, sit in silence with a cup of coffee, or take a walk out in nature. Small self-care habits in your morning routine set the tone for a day that’s centered and productive.
Related Post: How to Wake Up Early to Triple Your Self-Care
Take Scheduled Self-Care Breaks
Next, as the famous phrase goes, “what gets scheduled, gets done.” That goes for personal items as much as in the workplace.
So, schedule in non-negotiable breaks throughout your day – at least a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break.
Ideas to include in your short breaks include a brisk walk around the block, stretching, a chapter from a good book, or upbeat music. Instead of burning out in the late afternoon, you’ll find that you return to your work refreshed and ready to effectively take on the second half of the day.
Create a Beautiful Wind Down Routine
The end of the day is another golden opportunity to treat yourself well. After all, you only get one you!
So, prime your body for that all-important beauty sleep by creating a simple but effective evening routine. Drink a cup of herbal tea, create a gratitude practice, or do another soothing activity before hitting the hay.
You’ll be priming your body and taking care of your mind to function at your best.
Plan Ahead
Finally, as with your scheduled daily breaks, planning ahead is of the utmost importance to actually following through.
At the beginning of every month or week, schedule out what you will do for yourself in the coming days. Plan out your workouts. Make an appointment for that massage. And block out times for prayer or meditation.
If it’s already in the schedule it’s much harder to put your health and happiness on the back burner.
Something to Consider With Self-Care
Never forget, self-care is non-negotiable to keep us at our best. Sure, you’ll survive without it for a while, but a reckoning always arrives.
Additionally, what is hard to do in the short term will add years of health, happiness, and impact to your long term.