Here are 5 amazing ways to include self-care into your daily routine:
Make It a Habit
We all have daily habits, tasks we do every day (usually around the same time), without giving it a whole lot of thought. We get up, eat breakfast, brush our teeth, scroll through social media and so the day continues.
The chances are you never actually set out intentionally to do any of those things in that order or at that time, yet you do them every day in the same way.
You might be thinking ‘But I don’t have time for self-care’. This is often the biggest stumbling block when it comes to creating new habits. We convince ourselves that every minute of our day is accounted for when, a lot of what we do each day is mindless, we don’t do it with intention.
So, rather than scrolling mindlessly while drinking your cup of tea, you could be writing in a journal or walking around the garden or calling a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. These are all forms of self-care. They are intentional tasks you choose to do because you enjoy them, and you are doing them because you want to, not because you need to.
Attach It To Another Habit
To make self-care a habit, the best way is to start out by attaching it to another habit. So, say you always scroll through your phone before you go to sleep (a habit many of us have!).
Instead, set that 15 minutes aside for some self-care. You could do some guided meditation, read a book, paint your nails or listen to some of your favourite music. By doing it at the same time each day, alongside another habit you already have (going to bed), you have a much better chance of continuing with your self-care routine into the future.
Become More Aware
Self-care is so much about looking after your mind as well as your body. Getting out for walks, going to yoga classes or taking long bubble baths are really important, but without your mind being healthy also, your body won’t be able to get the full benefit.
Keeping a journal can be a great way of checking in with your mind and tracking any patterns in your mental health. For instance, you may be more tired at certain times in your cycle, and if you can predict those days ahead of time you can plan to keep your schedule light.
You may also find that there’s a certain day of the week when you feel more irritable and agitated than others. Knowing this means you can look at your week and figure out what might be causing that. Maybe it’s a day you don’t have time to eat lunch, or it’s the day after you always stay up late to watch a new episode on Netflix!
Journaling
A journal can be anything you want it to be. You can use it as a place to safely voice all the thoughts circling in your head. If you’re a very organised person you might use it as a way of keeping track of your mood, your schedule and your finances.
If you’re artistic it might be more of a sketchbook, reflecting your thoughts in your daily drawing. The most important thing is that it’s for your eyes only. It’s a safe space to let your true personality show, with no judgement or criticism.
Learn To Say No
This is probably the hardest to do, and you may have rolled your eyes just reading the title!! As any mother can attest, children are very good at saying no when they don’t want to do something. As we get older, we seem to lose this and feel it necessary to hide our true feelings to keep others happy. Yet, if we were all more honest there would be less resentment and potentially, more compassion.
Saying no doesn’t have to result in offending or upsetting the people you care about either. It can be done in such a way that people will respect you for being honest, and maybe even try doing it themselves too.
It’s OK To Say No…
Telling your child that you don’t want to play Barbies right now, but that you will bring her to the playground after dinner, is so much better than sitting down to play with the Barbies but being distracted by all the other things you would rather be doing instead!
If a friend calls and asks you to go shopping for a new outfit, when you already have a full to-do list yourself, it’s okay to say no. If your boss asks you to stay late when you had planned to go to the gym after work, it’s okay to say no.
And most importantly, if you’re having a bad day and someone asks if you’re okay, you don’t have to say yes and pretend otherwise, be honest and say no. It doesn’t mean you’re weak or that anyone will think any less of you. It just means that they can try to help, or at the very least, not judge you for being a little quieter or crankier than usual!
By saying no when you mean no, you will also feel much better about saying yes when you really do want to do something.
Make The Most Of Technology
You’ve probably heard of people going on digital detoxes and shutting down social media accounts for a certain period of time. And while that can work, it’s not always necessary.
There’s no doubt that technology has had a massive impact on all of us, both positive and negative. However, it’s here to stay and will only be getting more prevalent. So, instead of shunning it completely it’s more realistic to learn to manage it in a way that benefits you, rather than controls you.
The developers behind apps and devices use proven psychological techniques for making their products more addictive and consumable. The little number that tells you how many unopened emails or Facebook notifications you have actually creates a panic in your brain that causes you to open the app and check, without even realising what you’re doing!
Your Mental Health
To look after your mental health, you need to learn to detach from technology. This can be a case of simply setting screen time limits on your phone or using an app to control how long you spend on these things may not sound like conventional self-care, they are all ways of reducing anxiety and stress. Being constantly bombarded with information and attention-grabbing sounds, we allow these devices to control our focus and time. Instead, we need to find ways to make the technology work for us, freeing up our brain and our time for other, more enjoyable, activities.
Make A Commitment
Self-care is not about following a trend or keeping up with your friends. It’s a commitment you make, to be kinder and more compassionate to yourself. Before you embark on this journey, take some time to write down why you want to do it and what you’re hoping to achieve. You might want to reduce your stress levels while trying for a baby. Or you might want to set a good example for your teenage daughter. Or you might be hoping to build your self-confidence so you can go for that promotion you really deserve.
Whatever your reasons, be honest with yourself. Write down how you want to feel differently, or what you want to be able to achieve. Then, make a commitment. If it helps, write it in your diary or mark off each day you’ve practiced self-care on a calendar. Set a goal of 30 days and promise yourself a reward for completing the month. It might be something small like a new lipstick, or something bigger like dinner and a night out with friends. Just make sure its something you really do want!
Just remember, you deserve to be cared for. As Christopher Germer, a mindfulness coach, said, “Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others”.
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Post by Grainne Stark, founder of The Sage Haven.
