There is a common misconception that self care takes a lot of time, energy and money. The biggest rebuttal when encouraging self care is that there is not enough time in the day. There is truth to that rebuttal, our society moves fast and life is almost too busy at times. The good news is that self care does not have to take a lot of extra time nor does it have to take extra a ton of energy or money. Here are some important factors when considering how to add more self care into our already full lives—
The two most important aspects of self care flexibility and consistency.
Our mind does not care so much how much time we have spent making ourselves a priority, it cares more that we have made it a point to make ourselves a priority. Some examples of this are: If we have a super demanding day and no time for any added activity, than we can pick up our favorite coffee or smoothie on the way to that super demanding day. If we had planned to wake up and go to the gym for an hour and we wake up late, than we might be able to have time for a run outside instead or a ten minute YouTube video or a one minute plank. The goal is just to make ourselves a priority, consistently.
The more we make ourselves a priority, the more we feel like a priority.
Another important aspect of self care is that it brings joy into our lives. Why would we add cardio as self care if we actually hate running? Life is already so full of responsibilities and grown up things, self care needs to be about adding more joy into our lives.
It is important to try new things. If one of our friends swears by a hot yoga class, there is no harm in going to try it out. If another friend swears by hiking mountains, we can tag along and try that. The more new self care activities we try, the more we can learn about ourselves in the process. We cannot know if a self care activity will bring us joy until we experience it first.
There are several different forms of self care and balancing different activities can be beneficial. Self care can be anything from Netflix and chill to camping in the woods to getting a massage. It is important to listen to our mind and body to be able to implement the activity that will benefit us most at which time.
Self care can be scheduled on the calendar—there are self activities that can be done daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.
For example, vacations are definitely a form of self care and can be utilized as a significant tool for meditation and for quieting the noise of the world. However, we might not be able to go on a vacation every month. We can plan for those times when we can engage in a vacation and add in other activities that we may be able to engage in on a more daily, weekly, monthly basis.
Some Examples of Acts of Self Care/Self Care Activities
Going for a walk outside on a nice day
Getting a massage
Picking up our favorite smoothie/coffee
Going to the gym
Getting a haircut
Saying no to someone or something
Netflix and chill
Cooking a healthy meal
Eating ice cream for dinner
Going to Therapy
Going to the nail salon
Not engaging in unhealthy/toxic relationships
Spending time outside
Going on a vacation
Hiking a mountain
Listening to a guided meditation
Doing a one minute plank
Going to the doctors
Planning a family day
Spend time with friends
Journal to gain self awareness
Cleaning up our space
Taking a hot shower
Waking up early
Staying up late
Drinking water
Changing our morning/night time routine
Make a gratitude list
Be in service to others/Volunteer
Listen to a new podcast
Engage in a skin routine
Make a bucket list
Take a cooking class
Read
Buy yourself flowers
Stretch
Take a nap
Set social media boundaries with yourself
Attend a church service
Practice Box Breathing
Light a candle
Hug Someone
Watch the sunrise/sunset
Any activity or act can be considered a form of self care if we are practicing self awareness and listening to the needs of our mind and body. We are the only person who is capable of taking care of ourselves in that way each and everyday.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hey, I'm Brooke! I'm a licensed anxiety and addiction therapist serving individuals, adolescents and couples in the states of New Jersey and Florida. My experience brings both a personal and professional perspective to the work that I do with my clients. If you are interested in learning more about the therapy process and would like to schedule a free consultation, I would love to chat with you!