What is a self care plan when you are finally ready to take some time for yourself?
It's easy to forget what your needs are when you're so consumed with work and taking care of others.
But if you keep in mind that self-care is essential for both your physical and mental health, then it becomes easier to create a routine that works for you.
With these tips, you'll find it much simpler to work on yourself and take care of the most important person in this equation: YOU!
What is Self Care
What is your schedule like? What do you have to do every day? Figure out what your routine looks like and what activities are most important for you.
I will share the many ways I understand self-care so you can get what works best for you.
Self-care is what we do to care for ourselves. It can include what we eat, what kind of exercise we get, what we watch on TV, what music we listen to and how much time we spend on social media.
It's what makes us feel human, what helps us work out our troubles without anyone else's input and what helps us better understand what is going on with our minds and bodies.
It could also be spending a day at the beach or a weekend at an amusement park.
Maybe it's taking a bath or reading a book for an hour in the evening after you put your kids to bed.
Most importantly, self-care helps us get through the hard times when our stress levels are running high, and everything seems to be going wrong.
Self-care is what keeps us strong for ourselves and those around us, especially if we're a parent and/or trying to maintain a relationship.
Self-care helps us feel like we are what's important instead of what everyone else wants, needs or expects from us. Self-care can give you hope that things might get better and what makes your hard work worthwhile in the end.
It doesn't matter what kind of self-care you engage in. What's important is that you do what you can to make sure it happens.
Without a self-care routine, our mental health will suffer, and so will our physical health from the stress brought on by not taking care of ourselves properly.
If we don't take time to care for ourselves, what makes us think we can take care of anyone else?
Self-care isn't what you do when everything is perfect. It's what helps you through the hard times and makes it easier to bear what comes along.
What is a self-care plan?
A self-care plan is what you create when you're prioritising what your needs are. This is what will help you get through the day without feeling like an exhausted mess. So what are some good self-care strategies?
Take care of yourself first:
You can't do anything for anyone else without taking care of yourself first. That means doing things that make YOU feel happy, like going to a movie alone or taking a long bath with your favourite book.
Practice self-compassion
We all have those moments where we think no one understands what we're going through, but we need to remember what matters in this situation is what YOU need. When you're dealing with challenges or rough times, think what you would say to a friend who's going through what you're going through.
Find your comfortable space.
Whether it's getting into bed with a good book or curling up on the couch with your favourite show, make sure what makes YOU feel relaxed and happy is what you do for relaxation.
Smile
Even if you're feeling bad, it's amazing what a smile can do. It affects your mood, and what you radiate to the world around you can affect others. When you feel good, those around you will feel that too.
Don't overbook yourself.
If what you have planned doesn't fit what YOU need, then don't force it into what your schedule looks like. Instead, what can you do that will help you have time for what NEEDS to get done?
Pamper yourself
Forget what others think of what makes YOU happy, and go with that anyway. What does a bubble bath or massage sound like? Use what works for you to relieve stress and feel better about what you do.
Know what you're doing
Instead of thinking about what you need to do, what's something that will help remind you what your needs are?
This can be listening to music when driving or writing out what makes you feel good, so what actions help bring more of those feelings into your life.
Take care of others
You can't do what you need to do if what you're doing doesn't fit what THEY'RE looking for. Make sure what YOU think is what THEY agree with so what everyone gets what they want.
Do what keeps your heart happy.
It's not always easy to figure out what that one thing you're passionate about is, but what keeps you going even when what you're doing can be challenging? Remember what brings that out of you, and do more of what helps bring it out.
Get some relief
If what makes YOU feel happy is healthy, make sure what you experience gives you what your body needs to have more energy. And if that means a nap to recharge, what can you do to get what YOU need?
Take a break
If what you're doing is truly what you want and what's best for you, then don't let anyone tear down what makes you happy.
It might be hard when others try to manipulate your self-care, but know that it's not what you need.
Part of self-care is what YOU want and what's in your control. If what you're doing doesn't fit these things, then what your body needs will be neglected, which can take a toll on how you feel about yourself.
But once you start to take care of yourself first, you can have what kind of impact you want. Self-care gives what's important, what it deserves and what makes YOU the happiest person in this equation, so what would be a waste to give up?
Barriers to self-care
Unfortunately, what would seem like an easy decision–"I need to take better care of myself" –isn't always so simple to execute. Having trouble taking good care of yourself? Here are 10 ways you're sabotaging your efforts and what you can do to stop this from happening.
Reason 1: You think self-care is selfish
What you can do about it: If you feel you struggle with self-care because you think it's selfish, stop what you're doing right now and take a good look at what's holding you back. You may be surprised by what you find!
Reason 2: You think self-care is an extra that your life doesn't have room for
What you can do about it: Make time for yourself by delegating tasks to others. If you find it difficult to let go, start by delegating what you don't enjoy doing the most (e.g., cleaning or grocery shopping).
Reason 3: You say Yes when you want to say No
What you can do about it: If you're saying yes to everything, look for ways of saying no to what isn't serving you. If it feels uncomfortable, remind yourself that what matters most is that you're focusing on what's important to you.
Reason 4: You think self-care will take too much time & effort
What you can do about it: Start by carving out one small chunk of time a day and gradually build up what you're doing for yourself over time.
For example, if you genuinely want to get a weekly massage (which studies suggest will make you feel better about yourself and reduce stress) but are having trouble fitting that into your schedule, see what's holding you back.
Are there times when it would be easier for you to take time out for yourself? (If so, what are they, and how can you make that happen?) Or what would make taking time for self-care easier to fit into your schedule?
Reason 5: You think what you want is unattainable
What you can do about it: With a little bit of planning, what seems impossible becomes more easily attainable.
For example, if what you're craving is more free time, then instead of saying, "I'll never have enough time to relax," try approaching it from a different perspective.
Instead, what can you do to make sure you have time to take care of yourself? Begin by looking at what drains your energy (e.g., staying up late) and what brings back your energy (e.g., exercising early in the morning).
Then, come up with solutions that will lead to more time for what you want to do (e.g., going to bed earlier, taking walks during your lunch break).
Reason 6: You think you can do this next week (or tomorrow)
What you can do about it: It's easy to tell yourself that what needs to get done can always be pushed off until next week (or tomorrow).
For example, if you need to exercise more, what might happen when what you want doesn't get done? And what will your self-care routine look like once what needs to be done does get done?
Reason 7: You tell yourself you're not good at taking care of yourself
What can you do about it: You might not believe that you're good at taking care of yourself.
But what you can do about it is to remind yourself that everyone needs a self care plan and that you might not have one because of what your mind is telling you.
Reason 8: You think what you want is what others are getting done
What you can do about it: You're probably super busy. But what is more important right now: what others are doing or what you think needs to be done?
Make a list of what your goals are and what's stopping you from achieving them due to work. Then, make another list of what really makes you happy - and what doesn't.
Figure what your priorities are and what's really worth pursuing and what can be temporarily postponed to work on what you need in order to improve as a person.
Reason 9: You tell yourself what needs to get done can be done at any time
What You can do about it: Figure out what self-care looks like for you—what does it mean to care for your needs, and what does it mean to give yourself what you need. Come up with a plan so that what you do for care becomes easy to manage.
Make self-care manageable by scheduling time, setting boundaries, having a support system in place, being flexible while still holding on to your plans, not doing too much all at once.
Write what you're going to do about what needs to get done on your self-care plan, and what you'll do if what needs to get done pushes what you want out of the way. Make sure what you write down gets done as required on time without compromising what's best for your well-being.
Reason 10: You tell yourself what you want can wait until what others want is what's done
What you can do about it: Being there for others is good; however, what about what you want and what you need?
Try to let what you want and what you need be what's done first. For example, if you're going to write a list of what you love about your job, then make sure to grab a pen and paper before what others want or what they need is given attention.
It doesn't mean that what everyone else needs or what they want will not be done but what you need most will get your attention first.
Benefits of self-care
Improved physical health
Giving yourself plenty of time to sleep, eat well, and exercise will help you develop the stamina needed to handle life's many challenges.
And when your body is in good shape, you'll find it easier to bounce back from stress.
Improved mental health
When you're consistently taking care of your physical needs, it becomes a lot easier to pay attention to what your mind and heart are telling you.
As a result, you'll find it easier to handle difficult emotions such as anger or resentment, especially if you have a way of releasing them (e.g., talking with a friend or writing in a journal).
And when your emotional needs are being met, dealing with other people will feel a lot easier.
Reduced risk for disease and illness
Taking care of your body and mind protects you from health issues and reduces the risk for disease.
Studies have found that when people are confident that they'll be able to deal with what life throws their way, those feelings translate into a better immune system that's less likely to succumb to illness.
Decreased depression and anxiety levels
Taking time to take care of what's important to you will reduce the stress and anxiety of feeling overwhelmed.
And by increasing your self-confidence, you'll also feel better about yourself as a person (which in turn reduces stress ).
Increased productivity at work or school
When your energy level is high, you'll be able to concentrate on what's happening around you. As a result, it becomes much easier to handle what you need to get done at work or school.
And when your day-to-day life feels more manageable, you'll have a lot more fun in whatever tasks come your way, which in turn boosts productivity.
Improved relationships with others
Working on what's important to you is what helps you feel good about yourself as a person. When your mental health is high, it becomes much easier to handle what life throws your way.
And when what happens in your personal and professional lives feels better, your relationships improve.
Less burnout
Taking care of what's important to you (self-care) helps prevent the feelings of burnout that comes from trying to do everything at once.
And when you're not feeling overwhelmed, it becomes much easier to focus on what matters most in what you're doing.
Enhanced creativity
Working on your self-care plan is a good step to enhance creativity in your life. By doing what you love, your brain will produce endorphins that boost and improve the flow of ideas.
So, identify what activities bring you joy and keep them on top of your self-care list.
What you can do to practice self-care in your everyday life
Self-care is an essential part of taking care of yourself - it is what helps us stay in shape, be productive and feel good about ourselves and what we are doing.
1. Self-Care Journalling
What is your schedule like? What do you have to do every day? Figure out what your routine looks like and what activities are most important for you.
What are the things that keep you going? What do you need to recharge your batteries?
If you're not good at planning, use a bullet journal or planner.
Start with prioritising what needs to be done. What are your priorities? Make sure what you're doing is what you want to do.
Figure out what activities help you feel good about yourself, which enables you to accomplish what needs to be done.
2 . Getting Sleep
Do not underestimate the power of sleep! Give yourself enough time for a whole night's rest. Make sure what you're doing is what you want to do.
Figure out what activities help you feel good about yourself, which enables you to accomplish what needs to be done.
3 . Adopt a Self Care Routine
Get into a daily routine that works for you. Figure out what helps you feel good about yourself, what helps you accomplish what needs to get done.
4 . Breathe
How are your breathing habits? Take some time in the morning and evening to breathe deeply. You will find it calming and helpful to deal with what is happening in your life.
5 . Eat Healthily Foods
Figure out what helps you feel good about yourself and what enables you to accomplish what needs to be done.
6. Sleep On it
Figure out what helps you feel good about yourself, what helps you accomplish what needs to get done.
7 . Prioritise Self-Care
Figure out what helps you feel good about yourself, what helps you accomplish what needs to get done.
8 . Get Outside
Go on a walk around the block with your favourite music playing in the background. It doesn't get any simpler than this, but trust me when I say what it'll do to your body is what your mind needs.
Play what you want to hear and enjoy what's happening to your body.
9 . Get Social With Others & Enjoy Friendships
Get out, have fun and enjoy what friends you have. Friends will help make your day easier to live through!
Conclusion
There is a lot of talk about what self-care means and what it entails. Some people think that taking time for themselves in any way is selfish or lazy, but this couldn't be further from the truth!
The benefits of self-care are many: feeling less stressed, being more productive at work, improving mental health, to name a few.
When you're able to create a routine that works for you, though, it becomes more accessible than ever before to take care of yourself without sacrificing anything else.
With these 10 tips on how not to sabotage your efforts towards self-care too often, you'll find it much simpler than ever before to improve all aspects of your life because now they involve YOU!