8 Easy Ways to Fit Self-Care Into Your Week
Because if you don’t care for yourself…who will?
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Self-care? Who has time for that?
Work, kids, friends, plans, money, you know the song and dance. Before you know it, you are developing bad habits that in all honesty are probably contributing to even more stress. But what I’ve learned the hard way is there is time. You just have to make it.
In this blog post, I’m sharing 8 of the easiest ways that I have fit self-care into my week. I’ll be covering:
• How I took control of my stress and gave myself the life I needed
• Putting your guilt away for taking care of yourself
• How easy and important it is to add exercise to your routine
• Taking breaks that are effective
• Affirmations and accomplishments
If you have found yourself in a rut taking care of everyone and everything but yourself, tired, overwhelmed, stressed, and unmotivated - welcome…this is exactly where you need to be. It’s time to take back your life!
How I took control of my stress and gave myself the life I needed
I’m a wife, mom of 3, and work full time. To say I have stress and little time for me is an understatement. I got to a point where my stress and the weight of the world was no longer off and on and I felt like I was drowning in it. A vacation or quick getaway now and then might help but it always came running back. I found myself crying constantly and not able to handle even the smallest speed bumps. Basically, I had no room in my brain for anything but the stress.
One thing was true and unavoidable; I never made time to take care of myself. I never really even tried, just brushing it off that I didn’t have the time.
Until the day that I stumbled into affirmations. An officer I follow from a reality show posted a picture of her smartwatch with her affirmation right on the face. I’m not sure how but it gave me a little boost. Within the hour I stumbled across an entire PDF of affirmations. Some meant nothing to me but others really resonated with me. I decided I would give them a shot and it was everything I needed. They reminded me that I was strong, that I can work toward a different lifestyle that didn’t leave me feeling stressed and overwhelmed at every moment. More than anything, they motivated me.
I started adding more things to my day for me and allowing myself to have the time I deserved. I did some research on what my brain needs and what my body needs.
From there, I started an exercise routine. I quickly found that even though waking up a little extra early is kind of a bummer, it paid off in my overall mood every day. I felt accomplished, the exercise was doing not only amazing things for my body but my brain as well, and I stopped rushing out the door in the mornings with the bit of extra time this allowed me. Since then, I have continued to find new and easy ways of self-care that I like to sprinkle throughout the week.
I feel incredible! I feel fit, happy, and motivated and best of all, I can spend quality time with my family without that overloaded weight of needless stress hanging on my shoulders. My life has completely changed for the better.
So here’s exactly what I learned, and how to implement it for yourself. Give yourself this gift. You deserve it…but most of all you need it.
#1: Put away the guilt
Whether you are a parent, a spouse, or even a friend a lot of us have this guilt that creeps up on us and tells us that we just can’t fit what we need to properly take care of ourselves. We might even have a voice in the back of our mind telling us that we are selfish for thinking about it!
That right there is why putting the guilt away is the very first step. You have to take care of yourself to take care of others or anything else in your life. Do your best to clear your mind and side with logic because in your mind, you know this is necessary for a healthy mind and a happy life.
#2: Exercise
Now listen, this does not mean you have to go to the gym every day at 5 am for 2 hours. This is not about anything but routine and moving. If you hate running, don’t run. Personally, I love the elliptical. I turn on some trash TV or whatever music I’m in the mood for and feel that my mind needs, and I get lost for a little bit. Here are some other things you can try and see what works best for you:
Yoga - I can’t preach enough, find the Yoga that works for you! If you have tried yoga before and didn’t like it, try some different versions or locations. I do yoga at home and if the weather is nice, outside. I also save my yoga for Fridays. It’s an amazing way to end my week of exercise (I don’t typically exercise on the weekends).
Walking - Just take a walk.
Swimming
Dancing
Whatever you choose to try, just make sure it’s part of your routine. Maybe that routine is only twice a week for 20 minutes. That’s ok if that is what works for you. Start small and listen to your body.
Secret #3: Make a Self-Care Day (Self-care Sunday!)
Sounds a little silly to think you could forget to take care of yourself but if you really think about it, how many years can go by before you realize that you have taken care of everyone but yourself?
I think that’s probably how #SelfcareSunday was born! For my schedule, Sundays are actually my favorite day for self-care because it tends to be the day of the week we have the least going on. That said, what is your day? This doesn’t mean it lasts all day (if it does, lucky you!). This just means that each week you have something to look forward to.
Here are some of my favorite self-care activities that I can fit into a Sunday night (you can do one or all!):
Long bath or shower. No rushing! Just put on some music and softer lighting and you have yourself a pretty great break.Shower steamers elevate your shower experience like you would not believe! (They are even better if are you feeling under the weather!)
Face/eye mask. I never have time to even think about using my masks but I sure do on my self-care nights. Hey, you gotta take care of that skin girl!
Nails! This one will pay off later too when you forget you made that time and now your hands and feet look fabulous.
Secret #4: Outside Breaks
How often do you go out and get some fresh air? How often do you go outside alone and can just breathe?
Outside breaks are so underrated. If you work from home, from an office, are a stay at home parent, or maybe all of the above, life just gets stressful. Force yourself to take a break. Give yourself 5 minutes at minimum, but longer if you can, and just breathe. It doesn’t have to be daylight, it doesn’t have to be warm, it just needs to be you outside. Fill your lungs with a few deep breaths. Force your brain to turn off for just a few minutes and listen to the sounds around you. Maybe you can fit in a quick walk? You will be surprised how impactful this time can be.
Secret #5: Affirmations
Affirmations are new for me. And let me just tell you, I couldn’t wait to add them to this list. My only regret is not starting this sooner in my life.
I used to think reading something is not going to change how I am feeling or make me less stressed. I was wrong, so wrong. The first step is finding affirmations that you need. Maybe you are struggling with your love life, or your work life. They have affirmations for everything, so if you have read some and it didn’t resonate with you, maybe it’s just not the right one for you. I recommend an affirmations app. I use ‘I am’ for Apple users but I found that app by just typing Affirmations into my app store and fell in love. Try having the app set up to give you a notification with a new affirmation at least a couple of times a day. If you have a smart watch, I also really recommend adding your affirmations as a widget on your home screen. Every time I look at my watch, I’m reminded of something that keeps me going, even on bad days.
Here are a few affirmations that I have pulled straight from my own personal ones today:
“I am working towards making a life I love.”
“I am focusing on things I love to get me through this.”
“I am in charge of how I feel and today I choose happiness.”
Secret #6: Accomplish Something…anything
Working on something until it’s completed feels great but it’s natural to think big. After accomplishing something, you may feel like your next thing has to be huge but that’s not the case at all.
Any accomplishment, no matter how small, releases the neurotransmitter dopamine which not only elevates your mood but also:
Boosts confidence
Increases motivation
Helps form good habits
Reduces feelings of inadequacy
Each success you achieve can help you feel more capable and empowered. This can be as small as making your bed, throwing in a load of laundry, allowing yourself a few minutes of meditation or maybe even making a call that you have been putting off. The key takeaway here is just do something until it’s finished. Give yourself this win!
Secret #7: Get Crafty
Discovering or letting your creative side out can be a great stress reliever. You don’t have to learn how to knit to make this work. Even coloring can be a great way to reduce your stress and relax while getting in a little ‘me time’. You don’t need to create something at a professional level to gain the benefits. Remember - this is for you!
A few things you can try:
Painting
Coloring (adult coloring books can actually be really fun)
Scrapbooking
Collaging
Cake/cupcake decorating
Secret #8: Plant Care
Caring for plants, indoor or outdoor, is therapeutic. Studies have actually shown that some of the bacteria in dirt can trigger a release of serotonin which can have a positive impact on your mood, sleep, even sex drive!
If you are new to plants or are anything like me and cannot seem to keep many plants alive, I recommend starting small. Get a plant that’s easy to care for like a spider plant, pothos, or a cast iron plant. Those are just a few examples of many!
Tip: They also improve the air quality in your home! Win, win!
Self-care is important. Male, female, married, unmarried, children, no children - EVERYONE needs to make time for your mental health. Creating a routine where I allowed myself this time, even for just a bit, has completely changed my life. My relationships are happier because I’m happier. Take the time. You deserve this.