This week our topic is self care and we’re focusing on: learning to find your self care priorities AND prioritizing self care in your life.
First off: what is self care?
It’s more than just bath bombs and face masks and instagram filters. It’s also more than just treating ourselves to any treat or extravagance we want or think will make us feel better in the moment.
True self care is about taking intentional care yourself: your mind, your body & your spirit. It’s about looking at everything you need to balance in your life and figuring out a way to take care of your energy, your mood, your overall quality of life in order to not get burned out, overly stressed, or let things fall through the cracks.
Intentional self care is especially important in the faced paced, hustle hustle hustle world we live in. When productivity is valued over rest it can be easy to let yourself and your needs go unattended.
Today I want you to think about the last time you took a designated moment to check in with yourself. Can you even remember? if you can, I want you to think about the ways in which you do express your own self care.
Make a list of what you do for self care. Then, for each item on the list, write what area of your life it is aiding in. Is it improving your mental health? Your physical health? Aiding in your work/life balance? Enriching your social life?
Self care without a reason tends to be more about momentary indulgence than true caring of the self. And while we definitely should indulge ourselves sometimes, it’s important that it’s alongside, rather than in place of, true self care!
Now look at that list. What areas of your life & wellness aren’t addressed? Is it your emotional health? Your overall energy level? Your social connection?
Self care is essential, not an indulgence. But how can you start to make it a priority?
Remember the costs:
Sometimes, the pros of taking care of ourselves don’t seem as important as the things we feel like we have to take care of RIGHT NOW. So instead of saying “wouldn’t I feel so much better if I took some time for rest today?” remember what happens when you DON’T have enough rest, food, social time, mental recharge time, etc. You start to have less energy, you have difficulty following through on goals and responsibilities, your ability to focus goes out the window, your sleep is impaired, you increase the likelihood of getting sick, creativity is stifled, negative coping mechanisms flourish, and health overall takes a nosedive. Instead of viewing it as rest or indulgence, remember your self care is proactive and preventative.
Pinpoint areas of stress:
Is it work that is stressing you out? Is your low energy negatively affecting you? Have you had difficulty getting out of a bad mood? Start working on your self care in small steps. Pick one area that needs addressing and start there. If it’s work, maybe you need a vacation, or to set a boundary on when you’re available. If your energy is low, maybe you need more sleep, less screen time, or a reserved amount of time to rest + recharge each day.
Stop multitasking:
We overbook ourselves a lot because we assume we can do so many things at once, but it’s not true! When we try to multitask we wind up giving half energy to two things instead of full energy to one. When we cut out multitasking (a form of self care itself) we learn how to prioritize better. What do you REALLY have time for? Where should you REALLY be putting your energy? What can you drop from your plate?
Don’t feel pressure to set aside time each day:
Daily self care is GREAT don’t get us wrong. But if squeezing in a million little things you’ve just remembered you need to take care of adds too much stress to your day, just add them to a list of things you want to get done soon. Set aside one day a month (or a week!) to go over what’s on the list and take care of them all. (and then REST). This can be things like checking which prescriptions need refilling, going over your budget to make sure you’re on track, making a meal plan for the coming month, return missed phone calls from friends you haven’t caught up with in a while, taking a long walk outside, making sure your calendar isn’t overloaded for the coming month, etc.
