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When people hear the term “self-care,” I think many think about their physical bodies. Skincare, treating yourself to hair and nail appointments, getting massages, etc. But self-care for me needs to be rooted from the inside.
It doesn’t matter if I get my hair done and feel gorgeous for a week or two; it’s temporary. It’s instant gratification. And that’s not a bad thing, per se, but it’s short-lived. My end goal is to actually feel like I’m consistently caring for myself, and feeling good about myself in all respects.
If you’re in the same boat, here are a few things you can do to try and build up a well-rounded self-care routine!
Find hobbies that bring you joy
Anything that you love doing can be considered self-care. For example, if you love to read, reading is self-care. If you’re crafty, maybe knitting is your self-care. But doing something that you can focus on, and feel the joy of, is a great way to feel good about yourself.
If you don’t know what hobbies you might enjoy, try something new. Go to a board game night at your local library, or visit a craft fair and talk to an artisan whose wares you admire. You never know what you like until you try it!
Minimize the things that suck your joy from you
Whether that means a cleanse of the good ol’ Facebook friends list, or actually removing yourself from toxic relationships, I promise the struggle is worth the end result. I’m a people-pleaser to a fault, and I find it difficult to stand up for myself at times, but no relationship– family, friend, or otherwise– is worth your mental health.
This can also apply to your surroundings! If you feel poorly because your bedroom is in shambles, go full Marie Kondo on that shit. Revel in the Lifechanging Magic of Tidying Up.
Regularly reflect on your goals, and where you’re at
Did you make it to February, only to realize you’d forgotten about your New Years Resolution after the middle of January? Checking in with yourself regularly can help you stay on track– especially if you’re like me, and deal with ADHD. I have a bad happen of insisting I’ll remember something I’ve said I wanted to do; it’s important, so, of course, I’ll remember… Yeah, no. Always write these things down!
Even a weekly check-in can help you stay on top of what you want for yourself. Did you say you wanted to go to the gym three times this week, and then realize you forgot you said that? Here’s your weekly reminder! Maybe you planned to have a weekly call with a friend in another part of the world; now you won’t go too long without remembering that.
Keep in touch with your emotions
There are many ways to do this, but one easy one is morning pages. I’ve talked about them before, but I discovered it through Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. First thing in the morning, you write three pages of anything at all. It’s a great brain dump and helps curb overwhelm.
Even voicing how you feel can help with this. Maybe you tend to keep quiet and go along with what your friends or partner wants to do; start thinking about saying no, and stating what you want. Acknowledging yourself and making yourself heard is liberating.
Final thoughts
I thought I’d keep this short and sweet, but I hope you learned something handy from it. Recently I felt like I’d let my own self-care routine fall to the wayside, because I hadn’t been keeping up on meditation, or yoga, or doing fancy face masks… But self-care is much, much more than that.
My amazing counsellor helped me get some perspective on what other things I do are actually contributing to self-care, and it’s been an eye-opener! So much so that I had to share it with you all.
Until next time. (I promise it won’t be so long!)
It’s a good day to have a good day. <3