So, what is self-care? It may sound a little hokey, but I promise you, if you can make this a regular part of your life, it will have a noticeable benefit over time. Self-care takes on many forms, but basically it means doing things for your overall wellness that benefit your body, mind, and spirit. As a mother and someone who works in healthcare, I know all too well the pitfalls of taking care of everyone else before yourself. It was a huge component in my weight gain and one of the hardest lessons to learn: I needed to start taking better care of myself.
At first, that was the workout. A half an hour a day, but one of the best habits I ever started. Next was my overall nutrition- and boy did that need an overhaul. Learning to fuel my body right and feed my family better (by incorporating Shakeology Daily and implementing a clean-eating lifestyle) has benefited all of us immensely. I have two happy, healthy kids who more often than not will choose healthy choices before junk (ok, maybe not the little one! He has a sweet tooth!), and even my husband lost 30 pounds I didn’t know he needed to lose! As wonderful as that all is, it’s not all. That’s the physical.
Self care is about the rest of it. The emotional. The mental game. The spiritual. And yes, even a little bit of the physical. What self-care is will vary from person to person. For instance, curling up for 15 minutes with a totally ridiculous romance novel or a murder-mystery novel with a hot cup of coffee or tea sounds like heaven to me! To my husband, that would feel like a punishment. It may take a little playing around with to find what’s right, and it also may vary from day to day. It can be as simple as taking 5 minutes to put lotion on (touching your body is healing, and moisturizing your skin is important and often overlooked) to going in for an hour massage.
Need some ideas for starting your self-care routine? Here’s a few tips to get you started!
1. Yes, I know it feels selfish, but NO, it isn’t. If you don’t take care of you, you’re no good to anybody else. Remember that.
2. Make a plan for when it will happen, and put it on your calendar just like you would a dentist appointment (hey, that’s self-care too! Healthy teeth are important!). I try and do
Self-care on Sunday not because it is alliterative, but because my plumber husband usuallyhas Sunday off! It’s easier to take an hour for yourself if you have help. And yes, it’s OK to ask for help.
3. If this is totally foreign to you, or if you have family members who are going to fight this (they may not understand how important it is), I recommend starting small. Pick one thing you can incorporate a week. The next week, maybe 2, and so on. Talk to the people in your life you may need to help you (such as your spouse or mom or neighbor to watch the children) and explain it to them. If people know something is important to you and understand, they are generally more supportive. Bonus tip? You can even consider trading time with a friend to make it happen!
Ok, on to the ideas! Remember, self-care varies for EVERYONE, but here’s just a fraction of a list of my favorites:
Read a book for 15 minutes, preferably outside.
Meditate for at least 5 minutes first thing in the morning.
Spend 5 minutes speaking out loud positive affirmations to yourself.
Take a bubble bath.
Take an Epsom Salt bath.
Take a nap (with no alarm).
Do a workout (you knew this would make the list).
Get a pedicure or give yourself one.
Get a manicure (or do it yourself).
Give yourself a facial.
Get a massage.
Put your favorite lotion on.
Diffuse your favorite oils.
Turn off all electronics/phones/tv and play your favorite music for your mood.
Take a walk outside.
Sit in the sun for 15 minutes with your eyes closed and just breathe.
Take 5 minutes to stretch when you wake up.
Listen to a guided meditation podcast.
Do yoga.
Make your favorite tea.
Take yourself out for a coffee date... alone.
Take 10 extra minutes to get ready.
Do your hair.
Put on makeup.
Wear an outfit that makes you feel good.
Do more yoga. ;)
That should be enough to get you started! If you have more questions about self-care, message me! I’d love to help you! The best part of my current fitness program is that self-care is PRESCRIBEDeaxh week, and the support of my challenge group is keeping us all on track to do it! I’ve been documenting each day’s challenges, successes, workouts and meals on my YouTube channel and Facebook, so you can always follow my journey there! Whatever you do, I hope you are living healthy and living happy. Love, Amanda
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