For the past few years the term selfcare has become quite the mainstream topic, but what is it anyway? We’ve all seen the posts of IG of with the wine glass or day at the spa saying #selfcaresaturday, but selfcare is so much more –
Selfcare is deliberate and intentional actions you take in order to take care of yourself. Ever heard the phrase:
‘You can’t pour from an empty cup’
If you’re not taking care of you, you cannot take care of the people who depend on you. And the most common argument for not incorporating selfcare into your daily routine… you guessed it, ‘I don’t have time’. That was most definitely my reasoning and some days I’ll still compete with that line of thought. And I can tell you, I function a hell of a lot better when I take 10 or 15 minutes at the start of my day to incorporate my favorite morning rituals than when I jump outta bed and into the shower.
But here’s the thing… the world does not hold space for us to actually hold space for ourselves. The world does not slow down for us, the world does not allow the for the radical act of selfcare.
‘Selfcare IS NOT Selfish’
Our fast-paced, rush rush rush lifestyle is unforgiving. If you’re not killing yourself to meet deadlines, take care of your family, coach your kid’s soccer team, and maintain a home, you’re lazy or you’re not driven. Which leads us to believe taking time for ourselves -- taking time for selfcare is SELFISH… it feels wrong to say no to someone else and to say yes to ourselves.
But selfcare is essential…
It is essential to our overall health and happiness. Incorporating small acts of selfcare into your daily life can help keep you from burning out or reaching for unhealthy coping mechanisms when things get tough, aka, alcohol.
There are so many acts of selfcare, everyone’s plan looks different. Everyone’s needs and experiences are unique.
Start small…
Don’t expect to create elaborate morning and evening rituals, mediation and yoga practices, and nutrition and wellbeing routines in the first week.
Here are a few no-cost ideas to get you started…
- Breathing exercises… Try adding 2 minutes of breathing exercises at lunch to slow down, ground yourself and get a reset. Just breathe...
- Go for a quick walk in the afternoon, preferably outdoors for a bit of fresh air. One word... Nature.
- A word everyone is sick of hearing… Gratitude. Add a quick gratitude practice to your daily routine. At the end of the day, think of 3 to 5 things that you are thankful for. You attract more of what you focus on, so be grateful for the good things in your life instead of focusing on the negative.
- The best free act of selfcare… Learning to say no. Setting boundaries can quite possibly be one of the hardest things we learn to do in life – setting and enforcing boundaries. You teach people how to treat you – you either accept poor treatment or you say no, thanks.
- Laugh… watch some hilarious tiktoks or follow a comedian on youtube
- Dance… need to release some tension? Make a kickass playlist to dance around to for 5 minutes to release that crazy energy – doing that instead of reaching for harmful ways to numb out can change your whole world.
- Sleep… another free act of selfcare is ensuring you get 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep on a daily basis
- Hydrate… stay hydrated and stave off all kinds of physical and mental issues.
When first creating your plan, stick to the basics and try new things. Take what works and ditch the rest. As I said, everyone’s selfcare journey is unique. What works for one person may not work for you. Keep in mind...
Self-care is something you actively plan – deliberate and intentional. Make an appointment on your calendar and hold to it. Don’t cancel on yourself, or if you need to, don’t cancel, but reschedule.