Burnt out, depressed, and anxious. It’s not until we reach this point that we start to consider self-care. Often, we have no idea what it even is other than that feeling of needing to press the pause button on everything. Luckily, if you’re at that place I’ve already detailed what self-care can encompass and why it’s so important.
There is a plethora of information on various influencers’ and CEOs’ self-care routines. I’m not here to tell you to wake up at 5am, journal, meditate, exercise, read, and do your affirmations all before you shower and head to work. I tried this. It only left me feeling more tired. When you’re crafting your self-care routine, I suggest you start small and add things to a routine you already have in place.
Step 1: Assess Your Needs
When starting a new self-care routine, it’s because we are finally prioritizing ourselves, nourishing ourselves before we spend the rest of the day giving to others. Given that, the best place to start is to assess what it is that you truly need to fill your own cup.
If you are feeling stressed, meditation or breathwork can work wonders.
If you are feeling a strong sense of scarcity, starting a gratitude practice can help you see the abundance in your life.
If you are feeling low about yourself, implementing a self-appreciation such as affirmations or writing four things about yourself that you like will begin a powerful shift.
These are only a few examples of what is possible. I encourage you to really take the time to assess what could have the most positive impact on your mood, day, self-esteem, etc.
Step 2: Start Small
Once we see the power of having a self-care routine in place, it’s so tempting to go all in and add everything to your routine. Like I mentioned before, that is a recipe for failure. We want sustainable self-care that will fulfill and nourish, not leave us feeling incomplete.
You’ve already assessed what it is that you need. Now, choose one or two of the most impactful things to make up your routine. For me, this was meditation and reading 10 pages every morning.
Step 3: Create the Structure
Now, it’s time to actually structure it. How much time do you want for each activity? How many pages do you wish to read? If you’re journaling, what type of journaling will you be doing and will you use a time limit? What kind of meditation will you be doing? Will you use an app or find a meditation on YouTube? How early do you need to wake up to fit it all in without feeling like you’re rushing?
Make sure that the self-care routine you’re building fits your lifestyle and needs.
Step 4: Implement Your Self-Care Routine
Once you’ve determined all of the above, you’re ready to begin. Remember that you’re looking for consistency, not perfection. There’s nothing wrong with missing a day or only being able to do one aspect of your self-care routine. If it helps, determine for how long you want to try certain aspects of your routine. This is a great way to check in with yourself in one to three months to see if you’re noticing a difference.
If you’d like extra support around self-care, reach out to me.