Who couldn’t use some extra special self-care right about now?
Even though we might be sick of the word, there’s no denying that the last 15+ months have been the most unprecedented experience many of us will ever have.
Transitioning out of that space will call for some largely unprecedented actions, too.
You’ll need to be bolder than ever to ensure you get whatever it is you actually need to replenish and rejuvenate. To speak up for yourself more loudly and stick to your boundaries more firmly.
But first… you need to know WHAT it is that will serve as your most healing self-care acts. Because what used to cut it might not this year.
Your needs may be different this year because your experience has been vastly different. You’ve gone without things and experiences that may hold a new kind of value for you now. You’ve missed people and activities and opportunities that you may have taken for granted before.
To determine WHAT your self-care actions will be this summer, ask yourself these 4 questions:
- What did you miss most over the last 15 months? How can you double down on that now?
- What did you learn over the last 15 months about yourself, what lights you up, and what depletes you?
- How do you want to feel today, all summer, at the end of the summer?
- When/How do you feel that way the most?
And please: Don’t let yourself get burdened by thoughts of what self-care SHOULD look like. If it makes you feel the way you want to feel, it’s self-care!
Now that you’ve got a personalized list of self-care activities you can incorporate into your days, it’s time to get intentional and strategic to make them happen.
Without a clear plan, it’s way too easy to drift along in the name of taking it easy. Unfortunately, that often results in one of two outcomes.
You either end up saying yes to “all the things” because you finally have time… which may sound great. But before you know it there’s no more time for the things YOU want to do, and you’ve filled your calendar with other peoples’ agendas instead of your own.
Or, the other end of that spectrum is that you make no plans and succumb to the summertime numb as you attempt to rest yourself back to well. Catching up on one show leads to another and you end up lost in a vortex of streaming series marathons you find very hard to quit.
In scenario one, you’re taking action, but on the wrong things. In scenario two, you’re overdoing it on one kind of self-care while neglecting the rest.
The sweet spot is when you do the right things and balance all the different ways your unique cup needs to be filled.
You can set yourself up for success by scheduling your self-care actions. It’s one thing to have that awesome list, but it’s another to actually USE it.
Go through each of your entries and decide what kind of frequency will feel most fab for you:
- Once this summer
- A weekly date
- 2-3 times a week
- Daily
Then… schedule that self-care in!
I’m a Google Cal gal myself, but you’ve just got to work whatever system works for you. (Which may be different than what you use September-May, by the way. So feel free to explore new options, like wall calendars, sticky notes, or pocket notebooks!)
Wanna squeeze the most juice out of your self-care plan this summer? Here are 2 bonus questions to help you do just that:
- What does your calendar look like over the next 2 months? What “obligations” can you eliminate or share with someone else?
- What’s one simple thing you can do every day that will feel like the biggest, sweetest treat?
Now go get yourself some of that super healing summertime self-care!