When discussing me-time and self-care, especially with exhausted individuals who serve or care for others, I avoid phrases like ‘you deserve it,’ ‘make yourself the priority,’ ‘put your needs first, or even ‘you’ve earned it.’ Overwhelmed caregivers who battle daily feelings of guilt and not doing enough often struggle to accept that advice. So, instead, I encourage something a little different. Here are 6 tips to help you make a few minutes of self-care one of your top daily priorities.
Understand Self-Care
Self-care is knowing and tending to your needs on a personal level. It’s taking the time needed to perform self-care activities that promote physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness (also social, relational, intellectual, and safety and security). For caregivers, self-care ensures they can be present and supportive of others’ lives.
Whether starting your day with a soothing morning tea or scheduling time for a reenergizing in-person or online aerobics class, self-care is more than setting goals for the New Year.
It also goes beyond luxurious activities.
It’s the everyday practices that fulfill your personal needs, such as getting plenty of sleep and eating healthily.
Self-care is making deliberate choices that address your overall health and well-being.
And yes, sometimes it may even require professional help, which is a powerful self-care action.
To care for others and meet the demands of your busy life while meeting your physical and mental wellness needs, make a self-care activity one of your top 3 daily priorities.
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Build Your Self-Care Tool Kit
To begin, let’s discuss building a self-care tool kit.
It can mean using or buying something, but honestly, it’s most often about how you spend your time and how you incorporate various self-care strategies into your daily routine to meet your physical and emotional needs.
While it can be helpful to put together a box or basket of self-care items to help you relax when you feel stressed (like a journal or coloring book, your favorite blanket or slippers, a good mystery or puzzle, or your favorite bubble bath).
What you need to build is a solid self-care routine that contains activities (start with just one) that you can consistently make one of your top daily priorities.
For example:
- A few minutes of stretching or going for a brisk walk are excellent ways to boost your physical health first thing in the morning while giving yourself time to reflect and be present.
- Preparing healthy meals and snacks is a cornerstone of self-care that fuels your body and mind.
- Taking a little time for a hot bath or diving into an enjoyable book on long, difficult days.
- And creating and sticking to a bedtime routine, at least as much as you can given your circumstances.
- Finally, it is not usually mentioned as a tool in a self-care tool kit, but a good therapist can be your best ally on this journey when managing stress, dealing with a mental health issue, or just needing someone to talk to.
The point here is to choose a self-care activity that will eventually become one of your daily priorities.
Schedule Self-Care into Your Busy Life
Scheduling time for self-care activities amidst a packed schedule of caring for others may seem like an unachievable dream, but it’s essential to maintain emotional and physical wellness.
The truth is, taking care of yourself doesn’t require much time; a 10 or 15-minute walk or relaxing with a cup of coffee in a quiet 5 minutes may be all that you need.
The best way to ensure you have enough time for these precious moments is by setting boundaries—both with family members and with yourself.
Start small; perhaps scheduling a long bath once a week or reading a good book for a few minutes before bed will give you a good start.
You don’t need a lot of time for self-care. But you do need to allow yourself to take the time.
By making self-care a non-negotiable part of your schedule (or day), you’re taking the first step towards making the self-care activity one of your top priorities for sustained joy, balance, and health.
Maintain a Healthy Balance
Finding that sweet spot where activity and rest harmoniously coexist seems like a task for a modern-day Wonder Woman.
Yet, it is within reach if you align your daily routine with self-care at its core and understand the power of prioritizing even a few minutes of me-time.
These seemingly small moments are the key to mental well-being and a healthy balance in your life.
Getting enough sleep, nurturing relationships with family members or a good friend, and finding joy in your morning walk by the flower garden are essential components of a fulfilling life.
Balance isn’t about segregating your daily tasks and self-care but weaving them together with intervals of rest and rejuvenation.
So, make small, helpful self-care practices a non-negotiable appointment in your calendar or your daily to-do list.
It will be your most powerful tool in sustaining your best self.
Small Steps Lead to Big Changes
Many think self-care requires much time, but that’s just not true.
Imagine beginning your day with a morning coffee without your cell phone, allowing yourself peace before the rush starts.
This is a simple self-care activity, yet its effects can ripple throughout your day. The same can be said for a 10-minute daily walk, spending a few minutes in the morning reading Scripture, or going to the gym.
All are examples of effective self-care.
Starting with small commitments, like the simple activities described above, can seem insignificant. However, these moments accumulate, leading to substantial changes in both your mental and physical health.
Each small choice is a brick in the foundation of a healthier, happier you.
Your journey towards a balanced life begins with recognizing the power of these small things.
Integrating self-care into your daily routine isn’t just beneficial; it’s essential for sustaining your best self and providing the energy to face life’s challenges head-on.
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Elevate Your Energy
Life can feel like a juggling act, balancing work, family, caregiving, and countless other commitments.
It’s easy to put self-care on the back burner during your busiest times.
So, you must remember how to prioritize your self-care.
Self-care is not a luxury; it’s one of your non-negotiable top priorities for sustaining your energy and finding sustained joy (and keeping your sanity).
Let me be your guide in this: starting with small things, like scheduling me-time, having a healthy lunch, and making easy-to-grab snacks, can have powerful, positive effects on your physical and mental wellness.
By incorporating self-care into your daily routine, you create a buffer against the stressors of daily life, ensuring you’re always the best version of yourself for the people who need you most.
Finally, if you struggle with guilt, it may help to think of self-care as the first step towards harmonizing your life’s demands with your needs.
So, grab that fiction novel, schedule time for a quiet moment every day, and remember – taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do for yourself and those you serve and care for each day.
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Be sure to grab your FREE Self-care Starter Guide! Lisa Kimrey is a 33-year veteran registered nurse (RN), speaker, and author of the Bible study, The Self-care Impact: Motivation and Inspiration for Wellness. At Mylifenurse, Lisa combines her nursing expertise with Scripture-based encouragement to show readers who serve and care for others how to begin and maintain their self-care journey – without feeling guilty or overwhelmed – to feel happy, healthy, and rejuvenated.