It might seem like self-care is just a buzzword in recent years, but it is so much more than that. Self-care is a way to practice self-love and compassion for yourself. It is time
you set aside purposely to take better care of your emotional and physical needs. It can include health, nutrition, gentle movement, nurturing your emotional and mental health,
nurturing your body, pampering, and much more.
With regular self-care added to your routine, you are able to improve your mindset, your health, and your longevity.
The best thing about self-care is that it is for everyone. No matter what your lifestyle is like or what your preferences are for how you spend your time, there is a way to fit self-
care into your routine and actually enjoy it.
Here are some things to know about self-care and how you can find the right self-care practice for your lifestyle.
1. Why Everyone Should Practice Self-Care
Self-care is such an important part of setting yourself up for success. There are many benefits to practicing on a regular basis, preferably daily but at least as often as possible.
Here are some of the top benefits to adding self-care to your routine.
It is a Way to Be Kind to Yourself
When you practice self-care, you are practicing self-compassion, which is something everyone could use more of. It is so easy to get caught up in your life, with ll the
schedules and kids’ play dates and homework and all your home responsibilities, that you aren’t spending enough time for yourself.
Not to mention actually being compassionate to yourself. If you find that you think negative thoughts about yourself, whether your personality traits, what you think are
flaws, or physical traits, you need to be kinder to yourself. Self-care is a great way to do that.
By practicing self-care, you are forced to think more about yourself and your own needs, and you will benefit greatly by understanding how important you are to yourself.
You Give Yourself Time to Rest and Relax
It is also a good way to schedule time for yourself, when you otherwise would not make yourself a priority. Spending more time on everyone but yourself is extremely common,
but is also a bad habit you want to break. You can’t possibly be your best, most authentic self for other people in your life if you don’t care to your own needs as well.
With a regular self-care practice, you schedule in time for your self-care activities, so you will naturally begin to relax more and have that rest time in each day or on a weekly
basis.
It Often Includes Activities You “Don’t Have Time For”
Self-care is not just activities you enjoy, but frequently includes those special ones that you rarely make time for. Maybe you do read from your book every day, but you don’t
often have time for more creative activities. Or you might find that you don’t get enough pampering in and can’t remember the last time you set aside extra time for a face mask
or to get your nails done.
This is why it is a great idea to make a list of any activity you have been wanting to do for yourself, but haven’t had the opportunity in a while.
Self-Care Can Boost Confidence
When you start practicing more self-care, you may notice a big boost in your self-esteem and confidence. This is a wonderful side benefit! It doesn’t always happen right
away, but the more you practice self-compassion and put aside this time for your own needs, the more you will begin to feel better about yourself.
It is not just those pampering self-care activities that boost your confidence, but self-care itself where you are spending more time on your own needs. It really does shift
your mindset drastically.
It Prevents You From Burnout and Overwhelm
If you have been struggling with burnout lately or feel overwhelmed, self-care is a great place to start. With this extra time you set for rest and relaxation, you have no choice
but to unwind and just rest for those few minutes every day. It might not seem like much, but it really can make all the difference when it comes to burnout.
2. How to Fit Self-Care Into Your Routine
The big question is often what self-care activities to include and how to actually fit them into your routine. Just like any new habit you incorporate into your life, it is a matter of
figuring out what your current routine is and where you might have space for a new activity. This isn’t going to happen overnight, so think of it as a process to adding a new
habit into your current lifestyle.
Here are some tips for fitting self-care into your routine.
Analyze Your Current Daily Routine
Before you can fit self-care into your daily routine, you need to have a better idea of what your current routine looks like. Take some time writing down the basic activities
and schedule you have on a consistent basis. Start with your work schedule, including when you get ready in the morning, what time you leave the house, your commute, what
time you have during your work day, and when you get home in the evening.
Do the same thing even if you work from home, but adjusting it slightly for when you tend to start and stop working for the day. You can then write down anything you do
every morning or every evening, from brushing your teeth and taking a shower, to putting the kids to bed or taking your dog for a walk.
The objective here is to understand your habits and routine, and at what time you do them. You are looking for times when you do activities that might not be completely
necessary, when you tend to waste more time, and when you might have a free window.
When Do You Tend to Procrastinate or Waste Time?
There is likely a time of day or certain task that tends to take a little more time and energy away from your regular routine. Maybe it is in the evening, when you sit in front
of Netflix for 2 hours before you go to sleep. Could this be the time of day when you schedule in 20 minutes for a little self-care?
Think about the schedule you just wrote out and when you might be able to fit in self-care because you were wasting time on something that didn’t need to be done, or taking
longer than you really needed to.
Morning and Nighttime Routines
Many people like to fit their self-care into either their morning or nighttime routine. These tend to be more flexible, because you aren’t at work or tending to your kids. Adding self-
care to your routine doesn’t have to require a lot of or energy. It could mean 5 or 10 minutes a day, even broken up into multiple segments.
Weekly and Monthly Self-Care
Another option is to do self-care less often, but still fit it into your schedule. This is for people who either don’t feel like they need it every day, or simply can’t find the time. If
this sounds like you, start with self-care just once a week or even once a month or so. This still allows you to focus on yourself and your own needs, but without a big time
commitment in the beginning.
3. Self-Care Ideas for Every Type of Person
Now for the fun stuff – finding the right self-care activities for you! Included below are 8 different types of people and lifestyles, so you can get an idea of what types of self-care
might be best for you.
But keep in mind you don’t have to stick to these specifically. They are simply a way to give you an idea of what self-care might look like in your lifestyle, but there are an
endless amount of possibilities when it comes to self-care.
Self Care for Homebodies
If you are a homebody, you might be someone who either prefers to be alone most of the time, or you just need to recharge more often when in your home. There is nothing
wrong with that! For you, the more traditional self-care activities are going to be great for you.
Say no to social events – Yes, just turning something down without needing a reason can be a form of self-care! Especially when you are a homebody or introverted person,
this just gives you a relief of responsibility and more time to do something at home that is only for you.
Pampering activities – Since you spend more time at home, it makes sense that your self-care would include those indulgent, pampering activities. This might be taking a long bubble bath once a week, doing a face mask, painting your nails, or sitting in front of the fireplace on a cold evening and enjoying the quiet time.
Watch or read something – Self-care for you may also be to watch or read something new. It takes you away from work and other responsibilities and allows you to just relax
in your favorite way.
Self Care for Social People
On the other hand, you might be the complete opposite, and actually get more energy when you are around other people. If you tend to be more of an extroverted, social type
of person, then the opposite self-care activities will be best for you.
Spend time with friends – The first way you can practice self-care is by setting up a time to be with friends. Maybe this will be a new weekly hangout, or you call up
someone you haven’t seen in a while.
Go on a weekend trip – Another option is to get out of the house and see the sights. You can go on a quick weekend trip either with your family or friends, see a new place
in your area you haven’t been to in a while, or just take the opportunity for a quick
l hike to go on. Look for a new trail and explore it alone or with some
friends. Make a day vacation.
Plan a creative activity with family or friends – If you don’t want to go anywhere, but still be social, you can instead find a creativity to participate in with friends or at home
with your loved ones. This might be a new craft or taking a painting class.
Artistic and Creative Types need Self Care, too
Naturally, if you are an artistic person or you like creative activities, your self-care activities will follow suit. But this is also a great time to explore new things. Here are
some ideas:
Try a new hobby – If you already do something artistic every day, it might not feel like a new self-care activity. Instead, find a new hobby or think about something you wanted
to try doing, but never really had time for.
Do something you haven’t done in a while – Think about creative activities you enjoyed in your youth that you haven’t explored in a while. Was there a phase in high
school or college where you really liked watercolor? Now is a great time to pick up the paintbrush again.
Bring your art outside – A great option for self-care is to combine a creative activity you enjoy with nature. Both of these together offer amazing benefits to your mind and
soul.
Working Parents
For busy parents, your self-care activities might look a little more like getting a break or just finding a way to recharge. While other activities are actually with your kids.
Extra time in the shower – This might seem like such a small thing, but as a busy parent, you probably don’t get much time to yourself. You are so used to rushing with everything you do not related to your kids, that you are really neglecting your own needs. Something as simple as giving yourself 5 extra minutes in the shower can make a huge difference in how you feel.
Self-care with kids – It’s not always possible to have self-care time alone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something fun with the kids and still make it part of your self-care routine. Maybe you love being outdoors, so you bring your kids to the local park or the lake. Or you decide to have a fun family game night at home.
Coffee with friends – If it’s possible to have someone watch the kids for an hour a week, try to schedule time out of the house with friends or just by yourself.
People Who Love the Outdoors also need Self Care
If you are someone who loves to be outside and be a little more adventurous, these self-care activities are for you:
Take a walk in the park – The great thing about this is that it is free to do and doesn’t require much. Just put on some comfy clothes, walk or drive to your nearest park, and
enjoy a nice little stroll. Just a few minutes in nature can make you feel refreshed.
Find a new hiking trail – For a bit more fitness in your self-care routine, you might want to find a local trail nearby so you don’t feel rushed.
Go for a scenic drive – You can also just jump in your car and go for a drive. Don’t have a destination in mind, and instead just drive the scenic routes where you live.
Workaholics definitely need Self Care
Being a workaholic is not really something to brag about, since it can be really hard on both your physical and mental health. But if you use this just to describe having to work
a lot of hours, the following self-care activities will definitely benefit you:
Take mini breaks during the day – With a busy schedule, it might not be possible for long breaks, but you can take little 5-minute breaks a few times during the day. Make
sure you put your phone away and don’t look at your computer during this time!
Get out of the office – Whether you are taking a break or choosing to work somewhere else, get out of your office for your self-care activities. It is really important to physically step away from your work.
Avoid working during your lunch break – The best thing you can do for yourself might be to simply not work during your breaks. If you eat lunch in your office,
sit away from your computer, or try to find somewhere else to eat so you aren’t as tempted.
Take a power nap in the afternoon – Give yourself a few minutes every afternoon to shut your eyes and take a quick nap to recharge.
People Who Get Bored Easily should try these out
If you are someone who tends to get bored very easily and can never really stay entertained when you have free time, here are some ways to incorporate fun activities
into your self-care.
Take your creative activities outside – You might already be good at scheduling time for art and other creative endeavors, but you may be bored of your surroundings. Now
is a great time to had outside! You can get new inspiration and explore the differences in creating outdoors. Plein art painting is done outside and is a wonderful change.
Read a new style of book – If you are an avid reader, try switching up from your usual genre. If you typically read self-help and non-fiction books, grab a new fiction thriller or
series and see how you like it.
Learn something new – You can also expand your mind and knowledge by learning something new.
People with Stress should remember Self Care activities for stress
Everyone has stress at least some of the time, but if you tend to get chronic stress, you need a little more pampering, self-love, and calming. These activities will do wonders for your high stress levels.
Meditation and mindfulness – Adda daily practice of meditation or mindfulness, or combine them together. This gets you into a calmer headspace and allows you to reduce stress by acknowledging the present moment without being overly critical of it.
Yoga or tai chi – For a little physical activity, try adding yoga or tai chi to your daily routine. This can calm your mind and reduce both stress and anxiety.
Write in a journal –For you might look like spending 5 or 10 minutes every morning writing in a journal. You can explore your own thoughts, come up with new ideas, and spend this time learning more about yourself.
And if this isn’t enough, here is a link to an article that goes more in-depth on this subject.
Get a free downloadable Self-Care Journal here.
