Realistic Self Care For Every Day Life
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term “self care?” Bubble baths and spa days? Maybe. But for a lot of people, those aren’t always possible. Thankfully, there are plenty of other ways to take care of yourself, my friend.
Self care is, at it’s core, a way to take care of future you. It’s adding small acts or habits into your schedule that will set you up for a better tomorrow. Sometimes that means extra pampering, but a lot of times it’s just making time for things that help you destress, decompress, center, focus, and calm yourself.
If it helps hold you accountable, think of self care acts as dates with yourself. PUT THEM IN YOUR CALENDAR. You may not skip self dates. That would be rude.
So what kind of things can you do on these self dates? So many things.
Take a mental health day from work.
Spend some time organizing computer files to make it easier to find things.
While we’re organizing, declutter one room of your house that’s been driving you crazy.
Deep clean something that you’ve been putting off. The satisfaction you’ll feel when it’s done will be worth it. Promise.
Spray something or light a scented candle that puts you in a good mood.
Try a guided breathing exercise to reset your nervous system. (There are tons of great apps that will walk you through this.)
Go to bed an hour earlier.
Bail on something you don’t really want to do. Zero guilt.
Spend the afternoon reading or doing a puzzle.
Turn on something funny or spend some time with friends who make you laugh.
Host a game night.
Take a nap with a weighted blanket.
Turn up the music and dance it out.
Give an impromptu car concert. Drive aimlessly while you belt out your favorite songs.
It doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate. If it helps you feel less stressed, calmer, more focused, or recharged, guess what? It’s perfect. Your ideal self care might look different than someone else’s. Make it personal. Make it work for you. Just do it. Your future self will thank you.
By the way, science shows that engaging in regular self care can help you reduce anxiety and depression, improve concentration, minimize frustration, increase happiness, and improve energy levels. Basically, studies say self care makes you feel good (I mean, duh, right?) and that’s good enough for me. “Oh, I need to take some extra time for myself? Well, who am I to argue with science??”
So go forth and take care of yourself, love.
If you need some help creating self care routines or options that fit your life, I have a couple of resources that can help:
