How to Create a Daily Self-Care Routine
I’m sure you’ve heard people talking about self-love and mindfulness, but what does this really mean, and how do we start implementing a daily practice of it into our lives? Learn how to create a daily self-care routine.
1) Break free from your worst critic: yourself.
This is one of the hardest tasks to tackle. How do we break free from ourselves? Have you ever heard the saying, "you need to get out of your own way"? This is where journaling comes into play. Putting pen to paper and letting your thoughts run free knowing that you're the only one who will see it can be a very healing process. Initially, you might (and likely will) have judgement about yourself. Take some time to reflect on that - why are you judging yourself, can you have a more self-compassionate lens and understanding that your unique experiences have led you to where you are today? You are not your experiences. You have the opportunity to break free from your judgements about yourself.
2) Journal on daily prompts to create goals
Journaling on daily prompts can help you outline what you want in life, what you want to change, and the steps to get you there.
Ask yourself what it is that makes you feel grounded: yoga, running, meditation, walking, pottery, hiking, painting? How often do you do these grounding activities? How often would you like to be doing them? Talk about yourself as if you are the person who is already doing the activity, not as the person who would like to. You can change your identity and be the person who does meditation, if that's what you want!
3) Carve out time for yourself
Take time alone at least once a day. I know for many of this it sounds impossible, especially for those with children. But this can be as little time as taking a shower. Reframing this task to be a nourishing time to recharge can be very powerful. Take time away from social media. Step away from dictating who you think you have to be. Give yourself time to just BE. If you have time for journaling in the bath, hallelujah!
4) Practice protecting your energy
Learning that the phrase “showing up every day” does not have to be in the form of going to that class, or meeting that person, or having that call; it can actually mean cancelling tasks in order to care for yourself & needs if you're feeling drained. Obviously this depends on the importance of your plans - I'm certainly not suggesting you be a flake or miss an important interview. However, you can learn to categorize the importance of your plans and knowing that you have the freedom to say "no" to invitations or to rearrange your schedule if your body is needing some time for rest.
Contact me to see how I can help you improve your self-care routine today!