It doesn’t matter where you are on life’s journey, self-care is not just important, but necessary if you want to live a life that has meaning, joy and is authentic. I used to think that the only way to be a good wife, a good mother, a good daughter, a good friend was to put everyone’s needs before mine. But what happened was by not taking care of myself, I couldn’t take care of the people that I loved.
Self-care is more than just pampering yourself occasionally. We are “sold” the importance of spa days and wine nights, but true self-care is about looking at a holistic picture and how we are taking care of our bodies, our minds and our souls. The great news is that taking care of ourselves doesn’t actually take a lot of time. Creating a daily self-care practice can be done in as little as 10 minutes.
Let’s review some ideas of what self-care can look like no matter how much time you have and then let’s develop a plan and structure to build a regular self-care practice for you!
Self-care that can be done in 2-10 minutes:
Read:
- A devotional, quote or prayer every morning- before getting on social media or turning on the TV. This goes well with your first cup of coffee.
Meditate:
- Starting with a guided meditation via an app is a great place to start. I like an app called Insight Timer- it is FREE!
Music
- Put on a song that brings a smile to your face. Better yet develop a playlist with all of your favorites!
Hydrate
- Fill up a water bottle and make sure you are drinking enough water. It is amazing how much of a difference this can make.
Journal
- Write down 3 specific things you are grateful for that happened today.
Smell
- Our sense of smell is amazing and has a big impact on how we feel. Light a candle or use essential oils.
Play fetch
- Throw a ball to your dog and bring an immediate smile to your face!
Face mask
- Apply a face mask & put your feet up!
Grab your favorite polish
- And paint your nails
Hug someone
- Research shows that hugging may reduce stress hormones!
Color
- Be a kid again and grab a coloring book. Just a few minutes of coloring makes you feel calmer.
Positive self-talk and thoughts
- Only talk to yourself the way you would to your friend or daughter. Studies suggest we have around 6,000 thoughts a day. If even half of them are negative that means that we are being mean to ourselves 3,000 times a day. We wouldn’t put up with that from someone else, so don’t put up with it from you either.
Things that may take longer than 10 minutes:
Workout
- Even just a walk around the block or a dance party with your kids can make a big difference!
Read a book
- Reading can strengthen your brain and reduce stress.
Grab a coffee
- Get together with a friend for a cup of coffee or tea and catch up!
Go on a date
- This can be with a partner or solo! Try a date a week and each week have a theme of a different letter starting at A and working all the way to Z.
Take a bath
- For extra benefit add in Epsom Salt and relaxing essential oils.
Take a nap
- Keep it between 20-30 minutes for optimal benefit. Many meditation apps have a nap feature to help you stay in that time.
Listen to a podcast
- And I have a great one for you! My podcast- Real Life Wellness!
- Listen on Apple
- Listen on Spotify
- Listen on Amazon
- Listen on YouTube
Volunteer your time
- Finding an organization that you can volunteer your time is good for your soul.
Get a massage
- Massage has so many benefits physically and emotionally, make this part of your regular practice and you won’t be sorry!
Let’s develop a plan that can work for you!
Creating a plan that will work for you is the key to making wellness simple. The great news is that it doesn’t have to be time consuming to be effective.
The things you do need are:
- Making it specific:
- Write out exactly what you are going to do
- example 1: I am going to fill my water bottle each morning while I am making the kids breakfast with the filtered water pitcher in the fridge.
- example 2: I am going to get up 15 minutes earlier than my kids and spend that time drinking a cup of coffee and reading a book in the chair in the living room.
- Make it simple:
- Just like you would any other important event, put what you are going to do in the calendar and set a reminder/alarm in your phone.
- example 1: Daily calendar event or task: fill water bottle. Then go to your alarm in your phone and set a reoccurring alarm every morning. Name the alarm “Fill water bottle”.
- example 2: Set your alarm in your phone 15 minutes earlier. Name the alarm “Time to read and drink coffee”. Program coffee the night before so it is ready for you. Have your book where you will read it.
- Be consistent:
- “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” ― John C. Maxwell
- It is the small things that add up to the most change. When I started waking up 20 minutes early every morning to drink my coffee, meditate and journal, it changed my life.
- “Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.” ― James Clear, Atomic Habits
Please take some time to show yourself some love and be well.
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Be well,
Faith
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D I S C L A I M E R Anything that I discuss about making any lifestyle changes is from my own experience and/or other clients personal experiences and may not be suited for you. It is strongly recommended that you consult with your health professional before making changes in your own life. By engaging in anything that I talk about, you agree that you do so at your own risk.