Reposted from the Spiritual Sunflower's wordpress blog, originally posted on October 2nd, 2018
I hope everyone’s Monday has been off to a stress-free start! But in the event that this week is hitting you a bit harder than most, I recommend taking a few minutes a day to establish a self care routine.
First off, what is a self care routine?
A self care routine can be any number of things you do every single day, or on a designated day, to take care of yourself. This may be one thing, or a combination!
Here are some ideas of ways to show yourself special love & attention:
- do a yoga routine (anywhere from 15 minutes to a hour, maybe even longer if you have the time)
- make a delicious breakfast, or go out for your favorite!
- run a hot bath, and add a bath bomb or bubble bath & light a candle
- apply your favorite face mask
- write in your journal, make a gratitude list!
- have a cup of tea
- meditate
- listen to your favorite songs
- go outside, spend time with nature, maybe lay on your back & look at the sky
- read a book
- do something creative
- organize your desk or closet
- write a thank you note to someone. just because.
- spend some time in the sun
- plan a fun weekend for yourself/partner/friends, it can be something as simple as ordering pizza and watching a movie
- write out or meditate on positive affirmations
And the list goes on endlessly!
I began learning about acts of self love and establishing a routine of these acts a couple months ago. I didn’t put much thought into it, but I began to think of little things I could do to take care of myself and make my days a little easier to get through.
My personal daily self-care routine includes waking up and writing in my journal first thing. I try to do this before I even look at my phone, because I know once I look at the notifications from overnight I’ll be distracted for another 20+ minutes if I have the time for it! In my journal, I like to reflect on the day before and think about everything I have planned/would like to accomplish in the coming day. Something that I’ve recently added to my journalling routine is including one thing I have gratitude for, and why.
Gratitude is different than being thankful. To me, having gratitude for something means that its both a thought, and a physical feeling in your body, while being thankful is more mental. When I think of things I’m grateful for every morning, I like to sit quietly and think of everything I’m “thankful” for. When I come across something that is resonating deep within my heart with love and appreciation for it, I follow that feeling to better understand and act on it.
After journaling, I like to begin my day by washing my face. Establishing a skincare routine is something new to me, and investing the time and money in caring for the very first thing people see when they look at you has become something very important in my routine. Washing off a night of sleep, and rejuvenating my face every morning also makes me feel like I’m refreshing my mind, on top of having glowing, clear skin every day. If you’re looking to improve or begin a skincare regimen, don’t hesitate to reach out to me so we can discover what works best for you.
When I’ve finished washing my face, I begin my morning of breakfast (which varies), looking over my upcoming assignments for the week, and then things are set in motion.
My self care routine currently takes all of 15 to 20 minutes every morning. It can be longer some if I have time for some yoga or meditation, and spontaneous acts of self care when I have free time are something I try to keep in mind as well.
After having my own self care routine for a couple months, I’ve begun to really connect with the benefits of it. As humans, our bodies and our minds like routine. We take comfort and function most efficiently on a consistent schedule, whether that’s with sleep, eating, and time for hobbies or relaxation.
Take into consideration how busy your schedule is, and how much time you KNOW you can set aside for yourself. It may only be 5 minutes, but try to stick with it. You may find you have more time than you realize, or maybe 5 minutes is all you have, but the difference of a mindset fueled by self love is not something measured by time.
Do you already have a self care routine? If so, I would love to hear yours!
Namaste