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Self-care practices and routines have been on the rise over the past few years. It is hard to go on social media and not see anything related to the topic of self-care. You might even wonder who are these people who have all the time in the world to focus on self-care. Or maybe you question why you need to take care of yourself anyway. This article will clarify the why and help you design a self-care plan that works for you.
Why self-care
For decades, we have been told that success only comes to those who work hard and hustle. While I don’t disagree that most successful people have worked extremely hard to get to where they are, you cannot sustain 80 hours of work per week indefinitely. Depression, anxiety, and burnouts are real problems and most can be prevented.
Giving yourself love, kindness and compassion is key to long-term happiness as well as physical and mental health. Prioritizing self-care the same way you make time for eating, for example, has been clinically proven to reduce stress and anxiety. Additionally, when you make better choices daily, you can improve your physical health through self-care.
A healthy self-care practice doesn’t need to take hours every single day. If you are just starting with self-care, start with as little as 15 or 30 minutes of me-time each day.
7 days self-care plan ideas
Try implementing a self-care plan with a daily theme. Give each day of the week a theme to focus on. During the first week, pick one idea per theme each day. As self-care becomes more natural to you, try adding more than one action until you find a rhythm and balance that works for you.
Monday – mindfulness
- Practice eating slowly and mindfully for at least one meal. Taste the flavors, feel the textures, pause between bites and stop when you are full.
- Take a pause throughout the day to do breathing exercises (prana) for 2 minutes. This is especially helpful if stressed.
- Do a 5 minutes meditation practice
- Write 3 things you are grateful for
Tuesday – Treat yourself
- Sit in a bubble bath, give yourself a facial or go get a massage
- Enjoy your favorite treat
- Read a book
- Listen to music or a podcast
Wednesday – Work your body
- Take a walk or go for a run
- Practice yoga
- Do some gardening
- Ride a bike
Thursday – Try and learn
- Listen or read something educational
- Try a new recipe
- Learn a new skill: language, knitting, or bread making, for example.
- Write a short story
Friday – Food and drinks
- Eat food that truly makes you feel good
- Consume all your fruits and vegetables (4-5 servings of each)
- Eat healthy carbs such as brown rice, sweet potatoes, or whole-grain bread
- Drink plenty of water
Saturday – Sleep
- Wake up on your own without an alarm
- Follow a bedtime routine and go to bed on time
- Take a power nap
- Turn off all electronics 30 minutes before bedtime
| For tips to improve sleep quality, read this blog post. |
Sunday – Schedule, accomplish and organize
- Cross-off a task that’s been on your list for a while
- Look at your calendar and plan your week
- Write your priorities for the week
- Meal plan for the week
In conclusion..
The intent of this article was to make you understand the importance of self-care and give you ideas you can adopt to take care of yourself. You have one life and one body. Take care of yourself. You will be surprised to see how taking care of yourself allows you to take better care of those you love. Enjoy creating your own self-care plan and remember to share your ideas with me.
Thanks for reading.
Come back to see me soon.
Cat xx