Ways to Add Self-Care as Daily Habits

 

This is more than likely not the first time you have read about self-care this month or even this week, but this time, we’re looking at from a different perspective. Not just more self-care in general, but actually finding easy ways to add it to your daily routine through habits.

What Self-Care Activities Make You Feel Better? – what YOU feel better doing

 

To find self-care activities that will double as your daily habits, you need to consider what you feel better while doing. What is an activity you do for yourself that always seems to boost your mood, cheer you up, or just feels more fulfilling to you? This is a good place to start.Download my free ebook below .

Maybe you are someone who feels better with personal care activities, so that might mean taking a bath, doing a hair mask, using skincare products, trying a new hair mask, or putting on makeup. For other people, they like moving their body, so the self-care activity may be doing yoga, going for a walk, or going to the gym.

 

What you choose doesn’t matter, as long as you consider what tends to make you feel better. If it relaxes you and makes you happy, you know you’re on the right track.

 

 

Prioritize Self-Care

 

Remember that you need to make your self-care habits a priority. This is what turns them into habits, instead of just something you do every once in a while “when you have time”. Self-care should be penciled it, and it should eb just as important as writing in your journal, exercising, eating healthy, and going to your appointments and meetings.

 

As you begin including more self-care in your routine, remember that they are essential parts of your life.

• Self care prevents “overload burnout”: We’ve all been there — you push yourself to the point that you can’t take any more so you just give up. Self care helps you avoid getting to that point.
• Self care reduces the negative effects of stress: A small amount of stress can serve a purpose, but after a while, it just breaks down your mind and body. Taking care of yourself means keeping your stress from taking over so you can function at full capacity.
• Self care helps you refocus: When I was stuck on a complicated maths problem in school, my teacher would suggest walking away and coming back — taking a break, basically. Breaks are the epitome of self care, and studies show they’re great for helping you perform better.

Say no to others, and say yes to your self-care. 

Learning to say no is really hard; many of us feel obligated to say yes when someone asks for our time or energy. However, if you’re already stressed or overworked, saying yes to loved ones or coworkers can lead to burnout, anxiety, and irritability. It may take a little practice, but once you learn how to politely say no, you’ll start to feel more empowered, and you’ll have more time for your self-care.

 

How Do They Fit Into Your Routine?

 

Add your self-care activities to your daily routine, a certain amount of time you dedicate to it every single day. Consider your current routine, and where you can stretch the time by a few minutes, or maybe you have activities in your routine that aren’t really serving you anymore.

 

For example, if you have using a daily planner in your morning routine, but you have found you keep skipping it or you don’t really benefit from it anymore, replace it! Do something else that you consider self-care in its place. Maybe you have started to use a digital journal, and that’s why you don’t like the paper one anymore. That is how you know it’s time to make a change.

 

 

Remain Flexible

 

Be flexible in your life when it comes to adding any new healthy habits, from self-care activities to eating better or exercising more. This is so important, because people often get stressed when they commit to something, then don’t follow through. Your routines should always be open to changes.

 

• Are you getting adequate sleep?
• Is your diet fueling your body well?
• Are you taking charge of your health?
• Are you getting enough exercise?

• To assess your social self-care, consider:

  • Are you getting enough face-to-face time with your friends?
  • What are you doing to nurture your relationships with friends and family?

  • As you consider your spiritual life, ask yourself:

    • What questions do you ask yourself about your life and experience?
    • Are you engaging in spiritual practices that you find fulfilling?

    • When assessing your emotional self-care strategies, consider these questions:

      • Do you have healthy ways to process your emotions?
      • Do you incorporate activities into your life that help you feel recharged?

Self-care isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy. Your self-care plan will need to be customized to your needs.

A self-care plan for a busy college student who feels mentally stimulated all the time and has a bustling social life might need to emphasize physical self-care.

On the other hand, a retired person may need to incorporate more social self-care into their schedule to make sure that their social needs are being met.