People often get overwhelmed when it comes to adding self-care to their life, but all you are doing is choosing simple activities that are going to help improve your physical and mental well-being. These can be things you do alone or with other people, as long as they help to improve your life and happiness.
Here are some things to look for in your self-care activities.
1. It Can Be Done with Little Effort
You want your self-care routine to be done with little effort. This means it can be done quickly and easily, without needing to spend a lot of money or having to “set up” in an elaborate way. If it feels like your self-care activities take a long time to set up, are elaborate, or you dread getting it done, it is probably a little too demanding for something that is meant to be relaxing.
2. It is Something You Thoroughly Enjoy
Another thing to look for in your self-care activity is something you actually enjoy. It is really important that you find a self-care activity that makes you excited and happy. Even activities that your friends enjoy immensely, might not be the right fit for you.
Journaling is great for some people, but other people feel like it’s a chore. Others like listening to music and practicing mindfulness as their self-care, while their best friend or sister might hate it.
3. It is Something You Look Forward to
Do you look forward to your daily self-care routine, or is it something you feel like you are forcing yourself to do? This is a good indication when figuring out if you chose the right self-care activity or not. Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings before you get started with the self-care activity, and whether you are really excited about it, or you are trying to put it off.
4. It Fits in With Your Schedule
Your self-care routine should fit in nicely with your schedule. In some cases, you do need to make a little room for it, but it shouldn’t come in the way of any of your responsibilities and priorities. How you choose to fit it in will depend on your schedule and what works best for you.
If you use a type of block schedule where you like to see what you are doing during each block during the day, then you can schedule a 15-30 minute block for your self-care. In other cases, adding it to your nighttime routine might work better.
5. It Brings You Peace
Lastly, your self-care activity should bring you peace of mind and relaxation, not stress. Practice mindfulness and really focus on how you feel before, during, and after your self-care routine. If it relaxes you and reduces anxiety, it’s working great for you.
