In the past few years, you’ve probably heard a lot of talk about self-care and how important it is to have a routine for it. One great idea for taking care of your physical and mental health is to treat your whole body. It can be a little scary at first, though.
Self-care routines may seem like a lot of work for people who have never done them before, especially in today’s busy and chaotic world. Some people may have tried but failed to stick to the routine, making them feel like they’re not good at it.
Self-care isn’t just a trendy word; it means doing things that make your life better in general. Taking care of yourself is an important part of living a healthy life. Taking care of yourself on a regular basis can help you deal with stress, build resilience, and enhance your health.
If you agree with us that skincare is a form of self-care, it might even help with skin problems like stress, acne, or wrinkles. In this article, you will encounter a Transform guide on How to Start a Self-Care Routine You’ll Follow that will work for you, and you can take control of your well-being.
What does self-care mean?
Self-care means taking care of yourself, which may be enough to explain it. Incorporates all the things you do to keep your body, mind, and spirit healthy.
Self-care may seem like a good idea, especially if you want to live a long life, but it’s often the first thing that gets pushed aside when things get tough, like when you’re sick, have a money problem, lose your job, get divorced, or go through another big event in your life.
That’s why it should always be at the top of your mind, not just something you think about when things are tough.
8 forms of self-care
Self-care looks different for everyone because we all have different needs and wants. It might take some time and work to figure out what will help you. Whatever you choose to do for self-care, make sure it involves activities that keep your mind, body, and spirit in balance.
SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration lists 8 main ways to take care of yourself:
- Physical care: Some ways to take care of your body physically are to eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep.
- As a form of psychological (intellectual) self-care, you can challenge your mind by learning new things, reading books, or doing puzzles.
- As a way to take care of your emotional health, you could join a support group, start writing in a journal every day, or learn how to do deep breathing.
- Making connections with other people by caring about and being interested in their needs is a big part of social self-care.
- Professional Self-care activities that you do for work give you a sense of purpose and show what you value, what you’re interested in, and what you believe.
- Doing things that are good for the environment as a form of self-care can include adopting eco-friendly ways to live at home, spending time outside, or taking care of your own home.
- Some spiritual ways to take care of yourself are to meditate, practice mindfulness, or learn more about religion and spirituality.
- As a form of financial self-care, you might make a budget, start a 401(k), or simply make better decisions about your money.
Why is Self-care important?
A picture of someone making a ball go up a hillThere is an underlying belief that we must always be productive in a society where people are expected to work long hours and skip vacation days. It can make it harder to take time for self-care.
However, if you take some time to do it, it may help you relax from the stresses of everyday life and get back to a healthy state where you can be more productive. Considering how much mental health services, lost wages, and other things can cost, taking some time to focus on yourself may be good for everyone in the long run.
“Burning the candle at both ends,” so to speak, has big negative effects that can include but are not limited to burnout, depression, anxiety, anger, and loads of other bad things.
A self-care routine has been shown in studies to lessen or get rid of anxiety and depression, lower stress, boost energy, help people focus, lower frustration and anger, make people happier, and more. In terms of physical health, it has also been shown to lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
On a spiritual level, it might help us stay in touch with our higher power and figure out what our life is all about.
How to Start a Self-Care Routine You’ll Follow
If you’re not sure where to begin, consider starting an exercise regimen or something else you’ve always wanted to do but feel you should do first. Additionally, Dr. Sacco advises starting with very specific objectives in mind and adhering to the S-M-A-R-T concept:
- Specific: Determine the specifics of your objectives.
- Measurable: Choose a method for gauging your progress.
- Achievable: Make sensible objectives.
- Pertinent: The modification will have an impact.
- Time-bound: Establish a reasonable deadline.
Set Your Intentions:
The first step in creating anything new, including a self-care regimen, is to set an intention.
Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself:
- Why do I want to take care of myself?
- Why do I follow this regimen of self-care?
- What do I want self-care to accomplish for me?
Is it to learn to be more present, spend more time alone, or permit yourself to unwind after a demanding and hectic week?
You will find it much easier to create (and even maintain) your self-care routine once you have determined your intention or goal because you will be laying the groundwork and making it for the right reasons.
Creating a strategy:
Now that you are aware of the areas in which your present plan is deficient, pick particular tasks that you can consistently complete. Above all, make an effort to choose activities you enjoy! If it doesn’t make you feel better, it’s not self-care.
Do you detest engaging in vigorous physical activity? Consider taking up yoga. Do you not find meditation to be enjoyable? Consider trying something different to decompress, like drawing. Here are some suggestions for engaging in self-care:
- Having fun with loved ones and friends
- Taking up painting or journaling as your first creative endeavor
- Acquiring new skills, such as reading a book or cooking a recipe
- watching a childhood favorite film that you used to love
- You can even simply arrange your thoughts with the aid of a planner.
Create a self-care List:
Determining what I genuinely enjoy doing was one of the best things I did to develop my self-care regimen. As I have stated, self-care is personal to each individual. Don’t merely mimic what others are doing and then ask yourself why it doesn’t work. Determine what gives you a positive feeling. To that end, I recommend creating a master list for self-care.
Now, take out your pen and notebook and list all the things that make you happy that come to mind. Make a point of recording ten or more activities.
Make sure they are manageable and straightforward so that you can incorporate them into your daily routine. Simple actions like playing your favorite music and dancing around your bedroom for a few minutes, or even just taking a few deep breaths when you’re feeling overwhelmed, can have a profound impact on your mood.
It could also appear as:
- Putting aside time to read
- Taking extended walks in the outdoors
- Consuming a lot of fresh air
- Establishing a healthful nighttime and morning routine
- Observing a formal lunch break
- Avoiding screens during mealtimes
- Maintaining Hydration
Keeping things Simple:
You can attempt to practice your self-care routine every day if you keep it brief and easy. Starting small and incorporating self-care into your current routine may be the best course of action because choosing a longer routine requires more time and commitment.
Setting simple self-care objectives for yourself could be as easy as making time to compile a happy playlist or going to bed 30 minutes earlier each night. These little adjustments can have a huge impact on your entire day.
Ultimately, possessing over 100 soaps and bath bombs won’t make your mental state any better. Instagram accounts give the impression that purchasing goods will make your issues go away. While materialism and habitual behavior can bring about a certain level of happiness, health professionals believe that true self-care consists of giving your mind space to think and taking care of your body.
It also won’t hurt to indulge in a tub of your favorite ice cream occasionally! Managing and even practical, incorporating small acts of self-care into your daily routine can be achieved by designing a plan centered around healthy habits. You’ll go in the right direction if you follow your intuition.
Set up one to three Tasks per day:
Yes, it is important to take care of yourself, but self-care doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. Taking care of yourself can be as easy as rearranging your desk so that it faces the window, starting a new hobby, or taking a brief break in between tasks to recharge.
Therefore, avoid making your self-care regimen too complicated by assigning yourself 101 tasks to complete in a single day. If you do, you’ll become overwhelmed and possibly give up on self-care entirely. Rather, simplify and concentrate on adding no more than three or four of your master list’s feel-good rituals to your daily routine.
Some Common Example of Self Care Routine
Practice Gratitude:
Taking good care of our mental and physical health is equally important as it is for our physical health when it comes to self-care. Consider writing down a few things for which you are thankful at the beginning or end of each day.
These can be large things, like your family’s well-being and your work, or small things, like a lovely garden you spotted during the day or the release of a new album by your favorite band. Making gratitude a daily ritual can help us start and end the day with a positive outlook and inspire us to pay more attention to our surroundings.
Take some time to enjoy the Nature:
Walking around the block or spending a few minutes at the park observing the birds can be a great way to slow down during the day, especially for those of us who live in large cities where green spaces are hard to come by.
If you reside near a lake or the ocean, make the most of the warm weather by going swimming every day. Hiking up the peaks can open your eyes if you live in a more mountainous area.
Meal planning can help you feel less stressed.
Mealtimes can sometimes feel like a sprint to the finish line, whether we’re preparing food for the entire family or just trying to fit breakfast for one person before work. Plan your meals on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis as a way to take care of yourself.
It can help you save money at the grocery store as well as time—no more hurriedly ordering takeout! While creating a weekly meal plan and grocery list may seem like just one more thing to put on our to-do lists,
Limit your time spent on screens.
Everywhere you look these days, from TV to tablet to laptop to smartphone, it can seem like a never-ending game of ping pong. Allocate a brief period each day for a technological fast—you can put down your phone for up to thirty minutes! You can choose to cook, spend time with family members in person, go outside, or write in a journal as your digital detox activity.
Eat Healthy and balanced Diet:
To get the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy, include a variety of foods and drinks from each of the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy.
To ensure you are getting enough of all the important vitamins and minerals in your diet, discuss with your doctor the possibility of including a dietary supplement, such as a multivitamin, in your regimen.
Start your Self-care Routine the night before
Although our bodies and minds are working hard to keep us healthy and ensure that our bodies are operating at their best while we sleep, our minds may be unconscious. Adults should aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night, as noted by ii.
Sleep deprivation can have negative effects on one’s physical and mental well-being. iii The cornerstone of any self-care regimen is ensuring that you’re getting enough sleep. Take out your most comfortable blankets, blackout curtains, earplugs, or other calming aids, and incorporate obtaining enough sleep into your daily regimen!
Stay Hydrated:
You may be aware that water accounts for roughly 60% of our body weight. Still, you may not be aware that water is necessary for the proper operation of every single cell, tissue, and organ in the body.iv An adult male should drink roughly 15 cups of water, other liquids, and food each day, while an adult woman should drink roughly
Overcoming some barriers to Self-Care
If you find it difficult to begin a self-care regimen, it may be worthwhile to investigate the source of the problem. “I would look into what might be going on if there is a stuckness or difficulty starting or sustaining some kind of self-care program,” advises Baker.
While independent journaling may help some people solve that mystery, seeing a therapist may be necessary to address the underlying cause of the problem. A therapist, according to Baker, will be especially beneficial if you find yourself asking yourself, “Am I worth it?” repeatedly.
Setting aside time for self-care can be particularly difficult in the face of ongoing bad news, political squabbling, and global emergencies. Taking in continuous cycles of bad news can lead to emotional experiences such as feeling overwhelmed or helpless, according to Dr. Pollard.
Pollard advises avoiding the news if you become more angry, afraid, anxious, or depressed, even though it’s crucial to be informed enough to protect your family and yourself. “You have control over how much time you spend reading the news.
Do not allow your technology to continuously interrupt you with the newest headline or engage in doomsday scrolling, advises the expert. Self-care in and of itself, but it also frees you up to engage in other enjoyable activities.
Additionally, studies demonstrate the significance of self-care during difficult times. Even though the perceived stress of these lockdowns made it more difficult to engage in self-care, a study published in December 2021 in the journal BMJ Open found that participating in a variety of self-care activities during the COVID-19 lockdown was associated with improved well-being.
Conclusion:
To sum up, self-care is a crucial habit for preserving one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. It entails looking after oneself by engaging in a variety of activities, including physical activity, a balanced diet, adequate rest, learning new things, forming relationships with others, and goal-setting.
Self-care is an essential component of leading a healthy life, not just a fad. It can strengthen resilience, lessen stress, and improve general health. You can begin a self-care routine by making a plan, incorporating small, manageable tasks into your daily life, and setting intentions.
Even in difficult circumstances, self-care must be prioritized and not neglected. Numerous advantages of self-care have been demonstrated, such as decreased anxiety and depression, increased energy, sharper focus, and a decreased chance of developing specific diseases. In general, self-care is an important habit that needs to be given priority if one wants to live a longer, healthier life.
Matt Santi is an inspiring personal growth and development leader. With over 15 years of experience in business management, HR, and operations, Matt’s career has shaped his passion for guiding individuals on their journey of self-improvement.
As an Eagle Scout, Matt’s dedication to service and community drives his commitment to helping others reach their full potential. He is a self-described personal development enthusiast, always eager to learn and grow from new experiences. Matt’s unique perspective and positive outlook on life influence his approach to writing and coaching others.
Matt’s writing on personal growth and development topics with a straightforward and actionable approach provides readers with practical tools and strategies to help them discover their strengths and abilities. His energy and expertise make him a valuable asset to anyone looking to cultivate a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
