Making Time for Self Care
What is self-care exactly? Self-care is basically taking time to yourself on a regular basis to nurture and inspire yourself in healthy ways.
Related Reading: 7 Ways To Take Care Of Yourself This Week
Self-care doesn’t just happen naturally. It takes intention and practice. The only way that purposeful self-care will take place is if you make it a priority in your life and in your heart. Trust me, I know it can be hard to find time to slow down in how busy life can be sometimes. I totally get it. But if we want to further ourselves, in the long run, we must make time to make self-care a top priority and put ourselves first when it’s appropriate.
WHY SHOULD WE MAKE SELF-CARE A PRIORITY?
When self-care isn’t a priority in our lives, we will eventually experience a deep burnout both physically and mentally. When there’s a lack of self-care in our lives, it can lead to other things like depression or anxiety, or deepen those struggles if you already experience them.
Self-care is not selfish. Most of us enjoy putting others first and helping each other out, but how can we expect to pour into others if we have nothing to pour out? The only way we can truly help others is after we’ve first helped ourselves. This is so important
“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” – Eleanor Brownn
For some reason, I get the feeling that some people put of self-care because they view it just as resting or “boring”. But this isn’t the case with self-care at all! Self-care is all about enjoyment and creating a good foundation for a happy life. I like to think of self-care as the creative side of resting.
Self-care isn’t necessarily the same for all people. For example, I love a day where I can just relax and catch up with myself – do my own workout, go for a hike, listen to my favorite songs – basically, a time alone where I can lose myself in my music. My husband would much rather lay on the couch, take a nap, or get his favorite take-out if he’s taking a self-care day. And that’s OK. What works for me isn’t going to work for him and vice versa.
Now, self-care shouldn’t be only a one-day thing. Yes – take an entire self-care day to yourself every once and a while, but also incorporate it into your every day, as well. This could be as simple as starting a gratitude journal, reading a book or magazine, or listening to some of your favorite songs.
HOW TO MAKE SELF-CARE A PRIORITY:
Take Time To Rest Regularly // Taking time to rest has increasingly taken on the role of just being treated when you’ve done well or have finished something. This is NOT how it should be at all. You need to take time to rest regularly, as this is the first step into diving into proper self-care.
Reflect On The Now // Reflection is so important to be in tune with where we are at in life. Reflecting on the now helps you see the areas where you need to focus better on when it comes to self-care. Do you need to spend more time pampering yourself or do you need to spend more time eating properly? Reflecting is how you can notice these things.
Learning How To Say “No” // This one was a hard one for me to learn, but over the past years, I have gotten good at knowing when to say, “no” to something. If you don’t learn how to put down your foot when you need to, then surely expect others to take advantage of that. Again, yes – helping others is key, but only when you’ve had time to care for yourself.
Create Reasonable Boundaries // Creating boundaries for yourself also ties in with learning how to say “no”. Forming boundaries in your life can mean not taking on extra projects or it can be as simple as deciding to only go out once a week with your friends, instead of multiple times. Only you can create the boundaries that are appropriate for you and your life. Remember that it’s okay if it takes time to form them.
Quick Self Care Ideas // Just because you’re short on time, doesn’t mean that you cant fit some self care into your day. Check out the Quick Self Care Ideas below:
5 MINUTES
deep breaths
pray
meditate on scripture
a few simple stretches (I like downward dog into child’s pose)
step outside and sit in silence – deeply breathe in the fresh air
pop in your headphones and listen to a favourite song
get dressed / put on some makeup
doodle
light a candle and watch it flicker
15 MINUTES
set a timer and take a power nap
read
go for a brisk walk
take a quick shower
paint your toenails
peruse a magazine
make and sip a cup of tea
daydream
color a picture
work on a crossword puzzle, word search, sudoku, etc.
write in a journal
look through a childhood photo album
30 MINUTES
exercise
go for a leisurely stroll
watch a half hour show
take a hot bath (make an event of it and light some candles too)
knit, crochet, or sew
write a letter to a friend
1 HOUR (OR MORE)
watch a short documentary or a movie
hang out in a coffee shop with your favourite book
browse through your community library
attend a Bible study or a church service
get your hair done
go to an art gallery
visit the museum
treat yourself to some ice cream
go for a swim
meet a friend at a restaurant
The most important factor to make time for yourself is to make self-care a priority! Moms especially are often burdened by doubts and guilt. We think we have to be “on” 24/7 – but no one functions like this. Stand up for your own needs, and do it now.
Plan it. Decide what you want to do, when you’re going to do it, and make all the necessary arrangements. Write this time on your calendar and schedule it into your phone!
Don’t waste it. You have this time for you! Don’t clean the house because you feel like that’s what you should do (unless you love cleaning – then go for it)! Avoid frittering away your time on social media or attend an activity that will be an emotional drain. Be intentional with your time and do what will make you feel best with the precious time you have.
Savor this time. Enjoy your self-care time. Keep your mind in the moment and make the most of this occasion!
Make space. If you still feel like you can’t make any time for yourself, then maybe it’s time to shave some activities off of your schedule. Make the time to take care of you. You’re worth it!
I hope these tips today can prompt you to start to take notice where you can be putting yourself first more. I would love to hear what self-care means to you and what you like to do when having self-care time. Tell me in the comments!
You are worthy of self-care.