The number one thing that holds people back from doing more self-care is time. So today I’m here to tell you:
You don’t need any extra time for self-care.
All you need is to start acknowledging what you already do. I’ll show you how and give you a list of 16 small self-care things you can do today.
Since you struggle finding time for self-care, I’m going to keep this one short and sweet. I’ll dive deeper into self-care in upcoming posts, so check back. And I’ll be sharing actionable self-care tips in my weekly email so make sure you sign up!
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What’s your self-care goal?
First, you have to decide why you even want to do this self-care thing. It’s such a buzzword these days so its meaning has gotten pretty convoluted. What is self-care to you? In other words, what is your goal in doing self-care?
For me, self-care is doing something loving for your own mental, physical, or emotional health for no reason other than because you are worth it, and it makes life better. You are a valuable person beyond the service you do for others. That being said, I know loving yourself unconditionally is not something most of us are good at. So, if your reason is to take care of yourself so you can better care for others – great! Or maybe you’re feeling really stressed and self-care sounds like a good idea. Whatever your reason, it’s yours. Write it down.
Self-Care vs. Self-Destruction
Now that you know your goal, you can choose what actions will get you there. That’s how you know the difference between self-care and self-destruction. Self-care is any action, big or small, that leaves you feeling better because it’s getting you to your goal and supporting your mental, emotional or physical health. Self-destruction is usually easy to justify because it makes you feel good in the moment, but in the long run it either prevents you from moving forward, or even sets you back, leaving you worse off than you were before.
What are you already doing?
Before you write a list of all the things you’d like to do for self-care and then get yourself down because you know you haven’t got time for any of it – spend today just noticing what you are doing. What actions are you already taking that are caring for your mental, emotional or physical health? Notice, too, what you’re doing to help you “cope” but is leaving you feeling less good.
I personally give myself a little pat on the back for brushing my teeth twice a day and taking a shower. Sure it’s basic hygiene but any new parents out there will totally get the value in those two things! I also notice that when I stay up late zoning out on tv, I don’t sleep as well which leaves me feeling blah in the morning.
Make conscious choices
When you can start acknowledging the good and not-so good things you’re already doing, you will find that you can do a little self-care every day. I’m sure you’re already doing at least a couple nice things for yourself – you just need to give yourself credit! And when you can identify what isn’t getting you to your self-care goal, you can choose to do things differently. Choosing to work toward a goal that will support your mental, emotional and physical health is self-care all by itself! And it will help you start to love yourself more too.
Now you have it!
- Identify your goal for self-care,
- Celebrate what you’re already doing, and
- Choose to modify what isn’t serving you.
It won’t take any extra time from you. It only requires a little more self-awareness for one day. I know you can do that.
Here are some self-care things you might already be doing, or would be insanely easy to try:
- Take a moment to savor the smell and taste of that first sip of coffee in the morning.
- Wash your face.
- Brush your teeth.
- Enjoy your shower or bath.
- Drink a glass of water.
- Eat a nourishing meal or snack.
- Go for a walk.
- Feel the sun or breeze on your skin.
- Acknowledge something that you are truly grateful for.
- Close your eyes and take 5 slow, deep breaths.
- Laugh.
- Listen to a favorite song.
- Have a positive conversation with another person.
- Give yourself a genuine compliment.
- Enjoy a cup of chamomile tea before bed without any technology around you.
- Go to bed 15 minutes early.