SELF-CARE

“Take care of yourself” is a phrase many of us hear. I tell my students this, my patients this, and my family members this often. I finally realized the importance of telling myself this after reading Rachel Hollis’s book Girl Wash Your Face. If you haven’t read this, I highly recommend it. I am currently reading her second book Girl, Stop Apologizing and it’s just as good, if not better, than her first!

How we all practice self-care looks different, but here are a few of my tips to get you started:

1. Write down what self-care means to you.

Do you even know what you would do for yourself if you practiced self-care? To some of us, it’s working out; to others, it’s going for a pedicure. It may be taking a long walk, going to Target by yourself, or grabbing coffee with a good friend. Self-care can also mean watching your favorite show without distractions, lunch once a month with your best friend, or starting or ending your day with meditation. The point is, the first thing you need to do, is find out what self-care means to you.

2. Schedule self-care into your day.

This means actually adding it in as an event on your calendar. Write it down in your day. When you plan your week, plan when you are going to take care of yourself. If I plan ahead which hour of my day I am going to fit in going to the gym, I am more likely to actually get there. Don’t have the time? Let me share a hard truth with you: you will never make the time if you don’t plan for it.

3. Tell others you want to take better care of yourself.

Telling others around you, your loved ones and friends, can allow them to support you on this journey of self-care. Don’t hide taking time to take care of yourself. You may need to ask your husband to pick up the kids a couple days a week or find a gym that also offers childcare. Allow others to know that you want the time, no, you need the time to take care of yourself. If you don’t tell others, you never give them the chance to support you.

4. Make it part of your routine.

This goes along with scheduling it in your day. If you make it part of your routine, you are more likely to make it a habit. Personally, I have worked out my schedule to allow for going to the gym three days a week. I continue to do this every week and now it is a part of my routine. Continuing an activity week after week will allow you to make it a habit.

5. Don’t feel guilty about taking care of yourself.

Many of us take care of everyone else but make any excuse to not take care of ourselves. The time we spend on self-care takes away from our family or our work, but it also allows us to show up as our best self for others.

Self-care isn’t one size fits all, but we all need to take care of ourselves!